MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Lee University women's tennis team competed this past weekend at the 2023 GSC Fall Tennis Open. The doubles and individual championships were contested at Lagoon Park Tennis Center.

The Lady Flames produced one champion in four draws of doubles competition. They also had a representative in the final of two of the eight draws with one win.

Maria Penalver Aguilo and Kanna Kobayakawa won all three matches they played in the women's doubles draw No. 3. The duo beat Danielle Hernandez and Erin Coleman of Shorter 6-0 in the quarterfinals and followed that with a 7-6 (7-5) win over Sofia Neri and Ana Villalvazo of AUM. In the final, the Lee women beat Montevallo's Latizia Bojara and Isabelle Barfoot 6-1.

Maria Duarte and Ashleigh Simes went 2-1 in draw No. 1. They held off Hardija Vidnere and Heden Ly of West Alabama 6-4 and shut out Valdosta State's Natalie Rainke and Olivia Pezo. Montevallo's team of Klára Podškubková and Lieselotte Hartlöhner claimed the draw championship with a 6-3 score.

Simes recorded Lee's lone singles draw championship. She was leading West Georgia's Lea Von Kozierowski 6-2, 3-0 in the quarterfinals when Von Kozierowski retired. Next up was a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of West Alabama's Ly to advance Simes to the final against Podškubková (UM). Simes secured the win by a 6-1, 6-4 mark.

Kobayakawa was Lee's other finalist as she went 2-1 in the fifth draw. She beat Shorter's Coleman 6-3, 6-2 and Viktoriia Fedorova of Valdosta State (6-3, 6-2) to earn a spot in the final against Ane Ibarra of AUM. Ibarra outlasted Kobayakawa 7-5 and 6-4 for the win.

Penalver Aguilo finished the weekend 1-1 with a quarterfinal win over Guadalupe Martinez and a loss in the semifinal to Mississippi College's Gabrielle Geolier.

Elizaveta Gnilozubova lost her first match to Evelyn Altmaier of Valdosta State in the draw No. 6 quarterfinals. Gnilozubova then made her way through the back draw with three straight wins. She beat Elle Jones of West Georgia 6-2, 6-4 and Shorter's Victoria Calvert 6-0, 6-0 to reach the back draw final where Gnilozubova beat Montevallo's Johanna Kullmann in three sets.

Duarte lost both of her singles contests. After receiving a bye in the fourth draw's round of 16, Duarte lost 6-2, 6-3 to Barfoot (UM) and dropped into the back draw bracket. In the back draw quarterfinals, Duarte lost in three sets to Sofia Pepe of Delta State.

Hayden Smith was 0-2 in the seventh draw. She lost to Giuliana Sacco in the quarterfinals and faced Luna Mouton of West Georgia in the back draw semifinals. Smith lost her first set 6-4 and was trailing 2-0 in the second set when she retired.
 
Coach Patric Hines' Thoughts:
"It's always good to be able to see what the rest of our league looks like. Overall, I think this weekend was a great experience for our teams. We'll move into our off-season program now and continue to try and improve to get ready for our spring season."
 
 
FULL RESULTS
WOMEN'S DOUBLES DRAW 1 – Maria Duarte/Ashleigh Simes
Round of 16 -- Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Hardija Vidnere/Heden Ly (UWA)                                         W 6-4
Semifinals – vs Natálie Rainke/Olivia Pezo (VSU)                                                W 6-0
Final – vs Klára Podškubková/Lieselotte Hartlöhner (UM)                               L 3-6
 
WOMEN'S DOUBLES DRAW 3 – Maria Penalver Aguilo/Kanna Kobayakawa
Quarterfinals – vs Danielle Hernandez/Erin Coleman (Shorter)                      W 6-0
Semifinals – vs Sofia Neri/Ana Villalvazo Farrera (AUM)                                   W 7-6 (7-5)
Final – vs Latizia Bojara/Isabelle Barfoot (UM)                                                   W 6-1
 
WOMEN'S DOUBLES DRAW 4 – Elizaveta Gnilozubova/Hayden Smith
Quarterfinals – vs Manuela Dejean/Zoe Yasan (UWF)                                      Withdrew
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 1 – Ashleigh Simes
Round of 16 -- Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Lea Von Kozierowski (UWG)                                                   W 6-2, 3-0 (retired)
Semifinals – vs Heden Ly (UWA)                                                                             W 6-3, 6-2
Final – vs Klára Podškubková (UM)                                                                        W 6-1, 6-4
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 3 – Maria Penalver Aguilo
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Guadalupe Martinez (UWF)                                                   W 7-5, 6-2
Semifinals – vs Gabrielle Geolier (MC)                                                                 L 4-6, 2-6
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 4 – Maria Duarte
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Isabelle Barfoot (UM)                                                              L 2-6, 3-6
Back Draw Quarterfinals – Sofia Pepe (DSU)                                                       L 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 0-1 (12-14)
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 5 – Kanna Kobayakawa
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Erin Coleman (Shorter)                                                            W 6-3, 6-2
Semifinals – vs Viktoriia Fedorova (VSU)                                                              W 6-3, 6-2
Final – vs Ane Ibarra (AUM)                                                                                     L 5-7, 4-6
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 6 – Elizaveta Gnilozubova
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – vs Evelyn Altmaier (VSU)                                                             L 3-6, 4-6
Back Draw Quarterfinals – vs Elle Jones (UWG)                                                  W 6-2, 6-4
Back Draw Semifinals – vs Victoria Calvert (Shorter)                                         W 6-0, 6-0
Back Draw Final – vs Johanna Kullmann (UM)                                                    W 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (10-2)
 
WOMEN'S DRAW 7 – Hayden Smith
Quarterfinals – vs Giuliana Sacco (UWF)                                                              L 2-6, 1-6
Back Draw Semifinals – vs Luna Mouton (UWG)                                                L 4-6, 0-2 (retired)