CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Lee University women's tennis team edged No. 25 University of West Florida Monday afternoon at the DeVos Tennis Center. The 21^st-ranked Lady Flames improved to 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the GSC, while the Argos fell to 7-5, 4-2 GSC.

UWF grabbed an early lead with a sweep of the doubles competition. The 50^th-ranked doubles team of Aline Midori Da Silva and Guadalupe Martinez beat Mirjana Ragastovac and Nicolette Fuhr 6-2 at No. 3 doubles. Luiza Daud and Nathalia Mossambani doubled-up Maria Penalver Aguilo and Kanna Kobayakawa 6-3 at No. 2 doubles. At the top spot, No. 11 Sandra Recuenco and Carlota Verdu held off No. 35 Ashleigh Simes and Aliyah Dwyer 6-4.

Simes, ranked No. 1 in singles competition, evened the team score at 1-1 with a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 61 Verdu.

UWF regained the lead with Da Silva's win against Dwyer at No. 3 singles. Da Silva won their first set 7-6 with a 7-3 tiebreaker and posted the win with a 6-0 margin in the second set.

Penalver Aguilo used a 7-2 tiebreaker to win her first set with Recuenco 7-6 and completed the two-set victory with a 6-4 score in the second set.

Martinez, ranked No. 71, put the Argos within one point of securing the team victory with a straight set win over Ragastovac. Martinez shut out Ragastovac 6-0 in the opening set and then won the second set with a 7-5 tiebreaker.

Kobayakawa handed Alberte Joergensen at 6-1, 6-2 loss to even the team score at 3-3 and leaving the No. 6 singles match between Fuhr and Giuliana Sacco as the decider.

Fuhr grabbed the early advantage with a 6-4 win in the first set. Sacco forced a third set with a 6-3 mark in the second set. The third set needed a tiebreaker where Fuhr outlasted Sacco 8-6 to win the third set and match.

The Lady Flames have a short turnaround before hosting Valdosta State University on Wednesday. The GSC contest is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.

 
Coach Patric Hynes' Thoughts:
"Our girls keep finding ways. To be able to recover from losing the doubles point against a great team, was really tough. 

There was so much pressure on that last match, Nikki did an amazing job keeping her composure there. Coming back from 2-5 down in the breaker was an enormous effort."