Women's Tennis Sweeps UAFS

FORT SMITH, Ark. – Facing a short-handed UAFS team, the St. Mary's Women's Tennis team won its 10th consecutive match with a 7-0 sweep over the Lions on Friday afternoon.
 
"The girls did a great job staying aggressive in the doubles," said Director of Tennis Bill Macom. "That carried into the singles for us."
 
The two Rattlers (18-3, 6-1 Lone Star) doubles teams combined to only drop two games in winning the first team point of the day. Senior Gabi Ioannou (Melbourne, Australia) and freshman Stela Sifuentes (Eagle Pass, Texas) pitched the shutout at #2 in improving to 11-0 together this spring and the 12th-ranked team of Ashley Penshorn (Montgomery, Texas) and Kyndall Quiroz (San Antonio) won 6-2 on court one.
 
All five singles matches, as the Lions (1-16, 0-8) only have five active players, were decided in straight sets. Ioannou finished first on court four, winning 6-1, 6-3 for her third-straight.
 
Penshorn, ranked 22nd in the nation this week, flipped Ioannou's scores for the 6-3, 6-1 victory at #1 snapping a three-match losing streak.
 
Playing at #3 singles, junior Elena Munoz (Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico) won 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the team's 18th win of the season.
 
Senior Angela Vargas (Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico) stretched her winning streak to eight straight with a 6-3, 6-4 score at #2 and Sifuentes posted her ninth consecutive win, 6-3, 6-0 on court five.
 
The Rattlers turn their attention to the team right ahead of them in first place in the Lone Star standings, Cameron. The two nationally ranked foes take the courts in Lawton, Okla. at 10 a.m. on Saturday.