ST. AUGUSTINE – The ninth-ranked Flagler College women's tennis team completed a massive in-region match Wednesday, defeating 13th-ranked Wingate University, 6-1, at the Flagler Tennis Center.
Due to rain in the area, the Saints (4-4) shared the courts with the men's team in an attempt to get all matches in before Mother Nature hit the Ancient City. Flagler did and the result proved worth the four-hour match.
"Today was a very good day for our team," Flagler head coach
Rodrigo Puebla said. "We played a very good Wingate team, Coach Cabana always has a strong team, but today I feel we competed very well. The ladies showed grit and passion and that's something we have been missing so far this season. They have faced some challenges lately, but today we overcame them and it showed through their effort. We played extremely well as a team and that's all because of them. I hope we can learn from this win because it's a very good one to build upon."
Doubles got the Saints rocking as Luisa Hrda and Eden Schlagenhauf secured the first point behind their fourth straight win. A new combo at three – Florencia Massardo Brain and Addison Skye Breunich – dropped its match, but Anika Nissen and Alessandra Traub won their second straight to clinch the doubles point.
It's a lead Flagler never lost. Hrda cruised to its straight-set win good for her fourth consecutive; meanwhile, Traub won her second in a row in back-to-back sets and Schlagenhauf grinded out a three-set victory after dropping the first to clinch the match on court two.
With the first three Saints earning wins, the last three followed and Nissen jump-started the trio with a straight-set victory that proved to be her fifth in a row, when eliminating the unfinished matches at nationals. Massardo got back on track with a three-set victory for the Saints' sixth and final point as Wingate (3-4) took the win on court six.
With weather permitting,Flagler will open Peach Belt Conference play versus Lander Friday at 10 a.m.
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