CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Lee University women's tennis team opened its home schedule with a 5-2 win over Lincoln Memorial University Thursday afternoon at the DeVos Tennis Center. The Lady Flames improved to 4-1, while the Railsplitters fell to 5-4.

Maria Penalver Aguilo and Kanna Kobayakawa beat Carla Ramonet and Mar Garcia Bucosa 6-1 to open doubles play at the No. 2 position. Ashleigh Simes and Maria Fernanda Duarte held off Adriana Pellizzari and Tania Sfilio 6-4 to secure the doubles point. Elizaveta Gnilozubova and Hayden Smith were tied 5-5 with Rosalie Carrier-Dulac and Lucie Palud when the No. 3 doubles match was left unfinished.

LMU evened the team score at 1-1 following Kobayakawa's retirement at No. 3 singles. Simes picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win over Carrier-Dulac at No. 1 singles, but Pellizzari posted a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles to re-tie the score.

Gnilozubova beat Sfilio 6-3 and 6-4 at No. 5 singles to give Lee a 3-2 advantage. Fernanda Duarte lost her opening set to Ramonet 7-6 following a 7-4 tiebreaker. Fernanda Duarte came back to win the second set 6-0 and the third 6-2 to clinch the team victory. Smith won the first and third sets of her No. 6 singles match with Bucosa by 6-1 and 6-3 margins to supply the final team score.

The Lady Flames are scheduled to be in action again on March 6 against West Georgia. The Gulf South Conference match is set for 2 p.m. at the DeVos Tennis Center.
 
Coach Patric Hynes' Thoughts:
"We did well managing the important moments. A lot of close matches today. Proud of our ladies for staying composed under pressure, it's good for us to be in these situations."