CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Lee University women's tennis team opened Gulf South Conference play with a 5-2 win at Delta State University Saturday afternoon. The Lady Flames won two of three doubles matches and five of the six singles contests to move to 2-0 overall.

Kanna Kobayakawa and Maria Penalver Aguilo opened the doubles action with a 6-3 win over Weronika Kaczmarska and Adriana Subias at the No. 2 slot. Maria Fernanda Duarte and Ashleigh Simes fell 6-4 to Maria Caride and Marie Guillaume to leave No. 3 doubles to decide the doubles point. Elizaveta Gnilozubova and Hayden Smith secured the point with a 6-4 win over Sofia Pepe and Isabella Llano.

Simes took down Guillaume by matching set scores of 6-2 at No. 1 singles to push the Lee lead to 2-0. Delta State (0-2, 0-2 GSC) got on the board following Subias' 6-0, 6-3 defeat of Fernanda Duarte at No. 3 singles.

Kobayakawa regained the momentum for Lee with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles against Pepe before Caride pulled the Lady Statesmen back to 3-2 with a three-set win over Penalver Aguilo.

Gnilozubova clinched the team victory with a 6-4, 6-0 defeat of Kaczmarska. Smith lost just one game to Llano at No. 6 singles to supply the final team score.

The Lady Flames are scheduled to travel to the Gulf Coast next weekend to battle West Florida on Saturday and Spring Hill College on Sunday.
 
Coach Patric Hynes' thoughts:
"We handled ourselves well today, had to manage some difficult situations. I felt like we did a great job with our composure."