LAKELAND - After a one-week layoff, Florida Southern returned to the courts on Tuesday for an 8-1 win over Bentley that kept the 15th-ranked Moccasins undefeated on the season. Like most of their other wins in 2010, this one wasn't close.
Off to their best start in six years, the Moccasins (9-0) swept through the doubles matches where they've lost only twice all season. Andrea Arguello and Veronika Kovacikova got them started with an 8-1 win over Ellen Mader and Kara Murphy at the #2 position, and Nora Baertschi and Amanda Carns sent them into singles play with a 3-0 lead.
Arguello and Senka Senka Softic quickly clinched the match with a pair 6-0, 6-0 wins, before Kovacikova, Baertschi and Agnese Rozite also won in straight sets. Kovacikova just missed her fourth shutout win of the year with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at #3 singles, while Arguello earned her sixth.
Softic, who has won all nine of her matches at the top singles flight, won her fifth straight decision without allowing a point. The senior is now tied with Betsy Broadwater (1982-85) for fourth on the Mocs' all-time list for career wins with 64. She also moved into the top five for career doubles wins with 58, nine of which have come this season with Rozite as her partner. Only once has their winning margin been closer than the 8-2 score they won by against Bentley (0-2).
Florida Southern will play its next match on Friday when it hosts Eckerd College at 3:00 p.m.
