PENSACOLA, Fla. – The No. 6 West Florida women’s tennis team (11-2, 3-1 GSC) earned another perfect victory in a 9-0 win over Gulf South Conference rival North Alabama on Sunday at the Ralph “Skeeter” Carson Complex, as the Lions defaulted in two spots due to a shortened roster. The Argonauts blanked their seventh opponent this season to earn their 11th victory in 2009 and remain perfect at home.
West Florida started doubles action strong by winning in all three spots, dropping only six games combined. In the first spot, No. 24 Suzana Cavalcante (senior/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Paulina Ojeda (sophomore/Santiago, Chile) did not have trouble to beat Lenka Hola and Yuliya Zelenskaya 8-4. Argonauts second duo formed by Renata Mattos (senior/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Taylor Brewster (sophomore/Ontario, Canada) easily defeated Mallory Waites and Victoria Rees with an 8-2 score. Due to an incomplete lineup, the Lions had to default in No. 3 doubles, giving Yana Bokareva (sophomore/Moscow, Russia) and Naomi Higa (freshman/Cordoba, Argentina) the win. After the doubles matches, the Argonauts had the 3-0 lead.
In singles North Alabama once again gave West Florida a free point, by defaulting in the No. 6 spot. To earn the fifth point and secure the team win for the Argonauts, Higa only dropped a game in her 6-1, 6-0 win over Alfonzo in the fifth spot. Playing in the first spot for the Argonauts, Bokareva easily defeated Rees 6-1, 6-2. Ojeda defeated Zelenzkaya with a 6-2, 6-4 score in the second spot to give the Argonauts the 7-0 lead. Caitlyn Baines (freshman/Panama City Beach, Fla.) defeated Hola 7-5, 6-2 in the fourth spot. The Argonauts earned their final point when Brewster rallied from a set down to come back and beat Waites 6-7, 6-3, 10-8 in the third spot.
West Florida will next play No. 2 BYU-Hawaii on Monday, March 23 at the Ralph “Skeeter” Carson Complex in Pensacola at 1:00 pm. In the last meeting, BYU-Hawaii defeated the Argonauts 5-1 at the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Championships in Houston. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.
