MOBILE, Ala./PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Lee University women's tennis team dropped its first match of the season 5-2 Saturday morning at West Florida then rebounded to beat Spring Hill College 6-1 Sunday afternoon. The Lady Flames are now 3-1 overall and 1-1 against Gulf South Conference competition.

At Mobile's Medal of Honor Park (Cottage Hill Park) Lee swept the doubles matches and claimed five of six singles matches to win the non-conference battle against Spring Hill (6-7).

Ashleigh Simes and Maria Fernanda Duarte made quick work of Claire Bosman and Brooke Powers with a 6-0 score at No. 1 doubles. Maria Penalver Aguilo and Kanna Kobayakawa posted the same score against Emma Pager and Romina Kroemer. Elizaveta Gnilozubova and Hayden Smith were 6-2 winners against Emma Koch and Danielle Day.

The Badgers collected their lone team point at No. 3 singles. Powers led Kobayakawa 3-0 in the first set when Kobayakawa retired.

Simes regained the momentum with a 6-0, 6-0 drilling of Koch at No. 1 singles. Gnilozubova pushed the Lee lead to 3-1 with matching 6-2 set scores against Pager. Fernanda Duarte dropped just three games in her No. 4 singles win over Kroemer to clinch the team win.

Penalver Aguilo won both sets against Bosman 6-4 and Smith beat Marin Sabao 6-2 and 6-1 to record the win at No. 6 singles.

On Saturday in Pensacola, Simes and Fernanda Duarte posted a 6-2 win over Carlota Verdu and Manuela Dejean at No. 1 doubles. Nathalia Mossambani and Luiza Daud defeated Gnilozubova and Smith 6-3 to leave No. 2 doubles to decide the doubles point. Penalver Aguilo and Kobayakawa held off Aline Midori Da Silva and Guadalupe Martinez 6-4 to secure the doubles point and give Lee a 1-0 lead.

Daud won both sets 6-2 against Hayden to tie the match at 1-1 and Simes gave the lead right back to the Lady Flames with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Verdu at No. 1 singles. The match was tied again following a 7-5, 6-2 win by Jenna Svatos over Gnilozubova.

Penalver Aguilo pushed the region's 14^th-ranked player Midori Da Silva to three sets before losing at the No. 2 position. The Argos (1-1, 1-0 GSC) clinched the team victory with a three-set win at the fourth spot. Mossambani battled back from a first set 6-1 loss to Fernanda Duarte to win the next two sets 7-5 and 6-4.

Kobayakawa opened her match with Martinez with a 6-4 win in the first set. Martinez outlasted Kobayakawa 7-5 in the second set and completed the comeback with a 6-1 margin in the third.

The Lady Flames return to action Thursday afternoon against Lincoln Memorial University. The non-conference match is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST at the DeVos Tennis Center.


Coach Patric Hyne's Thoughts:
"It was nice to finish this weekend with a win. The ladies took care of business today and we are looking forward to playing at home on Thursday."