MIAMI SHORES - Winning three straight singles matches to snap a 2-2 tie, 7th-ranked West Florida pulled away for a 5-2 win over #11 Florida Southern in the first round of the NCAA South Region Women's Tennis Tournament. The loss ended the Moccasins' season at 16-7, while the Argonuats (21-10) advance to play Barry in round two.
West Florida and Florida Southern split the first two doubles matches, with the Moccasins getting their first point from Joalis Dominguez and Veronika Kovacikova at the #2 position. Their 8-4 win over Jacqueline March and Luiza Sonnervig knotted the overall match score at one apiece. That left the top singles flight still going, a battle between 21st-ranked Taylor Brewster and Caitlyn Baines of West Florida, and 16th-ranked Agnese Rozite and Sabine Goge. Brewster and Baines eventually prevailed, 9-8, to put the pressure on the Moccasins.
Once singles play started, Rozite, Goge, Dominguez and Pamela Paradis all took early leads over their opponents, but only Rozite and Dominguez held on to win the opening set. Goge and Paradis each bounced back, however, to take set two, and it looked like Kovacikova would also win her second after a loss in the first. Sonnervig rallied though at #3 singles to defeat Kovacikova 6-2, 7-5, shortly after March defeated Crystal Copeland 6-2, 7-6 at the #4 position. That gave West Florida a 4-2 lead, and Naomi Higa secured the match with her 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 decision over Paradis at #6.
Dominguez earned Florida Southern's singles point by defeating Baines 6-2, 6-2. It was her 17th straight win in singles. Goge came in with a 15-match winning streak and was seeking to become the Moccasins' first 20-match winner in 19 years, but was denied the chance when her bout with Yana Bokareva at #2 was left unfinished. They'd split the first two sets. and Goge was leading 2-1 in the third.
