SAINT LEO, Fla. — The University of West Florida (10-4) defeated Saint Leo University (4-5) 5-2 on Saturday at the Saint Leo Tennis Complex. The Argonauts secured the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions and clinched the match by winning four singles matches.
West Florida secured the doubles point with decisive victories on courts one and three. At No. 3 doubles,
Kylie Kochis and
Sophie Smith won 6-2 over Saint Leo's Sophia Johnson and Nicol Novak. The No. 1 doubles team of #23
Sandra Recuenco and
Carlota Verdu followed with a commanding 6-1 performance against #9 Candice Bernier and Catherine Rabatin. The match on court two was left unfinished with West Florida's
Guadalupe Martinez and Ali Midori Da Silva trailing 2-5 against Camila Keller and Deren Ozel.
In singles play, West Florida extended its lead with #50
Guadalupe Martinez's straight-sets victory at No. 4 singles, defeating Sophia Johnson 6-2, 6-0. Kochis contributed another point for the Argonauts at No. 6 singles, winning 6-2, 6-2 against Arianna Bettinelli. Saint Leo struck back at No. 2 singles, with #67 Deren Ozel overcoming #27 Recuenco in a three-set battle, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
The clinching point for West Florida came at No. 1 singles, where #6 Verdu defeated Candice Bernier 6-2, 6-4. Saint Leo added a point at No. 3 singles with Camila Keller's 6-4, 6-3 win over Da Silva. In the final match,
Alberte Joergensen of West Florida outlasted Nicol Novak in a tiebreak, 6-2, 7-6(7), at No. 5 singles.
Doubles
------------------------------------
Sandra Recuenco/
Carlota Verdu (UWF) def. Candice Bernier/Catherine Rabatin (SLU) 6-1
Guadalupe Martinez/Ali Midori Da Silva (UWF) vs. Camila Keller/Deren Ozel (SLU) 2-5 (unfinished)
Kylie Kochis/
Sophie Smith (UWF) def. Sophia Johnson/Nicol Novak (SLU) 6-2
Singles
------------------------------------
#6
Carlota Verdu (UWF) def. Candice Bernier (SLU) 6-2, 6-4
#27
Sandra Recuenco (UWF) def. #67 Deren Ozel (SLU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Camila Keller (SLU) def. Ali Midori Da Silva (UWF) 6-4, 6-3
#50
Guadalupe Martinez (UWF) def. Sophia Johnson (SLU) 6-2, 6-0
Alberte Joergensen (UWF) def. Nicol Novak (SLU) 6-2, 7-6(5)
Kylie Kochis (UWF) def. Arianna Bettinelli (SLU) 6-2, 6-2
In their next game, the Argonauts will travel to face Florida Southern on Sunday, March 15 at 10 a.m. at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center in Lakeland, Florida.
