The Lee University tennis teams opened Gulf South Conference (GSC) play with 9-0 defeats of Christian Brothers University Friday afternoon at the DeVos Tennis Center.
Both squads will hit the courts again on Thursday when they host Stillman College. The non-conference matches are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
Morgan Friedlander and Laura Beth Hardesty gave the Lady Flames (4-0, 1-0 GSC) an early lead with an 8-0 defeat of Carley lane and Melody Mays. Marta Garcia Nieto teamed with Maclain Yowarsky to down Tyler Napier and Rebecca Johnston, 8-2.
Francesca Tondi and Joanna Grzegrzolka made it a clean sweep of the doubles competition by taming Lauren Woog and Rachel Farmer, 8-5.
Grzegrzolka lost just one game on her way to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Johnston at No. 3 singles. Tondi secured the team win with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Lauren Woog.
Garcia Nieto won her first set 6-1 over Farmer and held on in the second set, 6-4. Friedlander dropped one game, Yowarsky three and Good two to win their singles matches in straight sets and supply the final team margin.
The Flames (3-1, 1-0 GSC) zipped out to a quick 3-0 lead following doubles action where Lee dropped just four games combined. Charles Jabaley and Luke Russo defeated Abel Kim and Nick Cotros, 8-1. Boyd Blackburn and Karl Hulten recorded the same score against Austin Essary and Nick Wiseman. At No. 1 doubles, Jake Okines and Rhys Milne tallied an 8-2 victory over Eric Mueller and Daniel D’Alto.
Blackburn blanked D’Alto 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and Milne’s 6-3, 6-1 win at the No. 2 spot was the team match decider.
Okines outlasted Mueller 7-5 in their opening set and claimed the win with a 6-2 difference in the second set. Hulten won both sets against Essary by a 6-2 margin and Jabaley took down Cotros 6-0, 6-0. Westley Lemke finished the team sweep with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Kim.