PENSACOLA - Miroslava Mensikova posted a 6-3, 6-2 win over Joanna Lario as Florida Southern downed 23rd ranked Valdosta State 5-3 Sunday morning at the Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Complex on the University of West Florida campus.
Florida Southern's number one doubles team of Magda Riutort and Olivia Spagnuolo, ranked seventh in the region, topped the No. 8 regionally ranked team of Jennifer Rink and Anke Poncelet by a score of 9-7. Mensikova and Katie Taylor-Dean combined to give the Mocs a 8-6 win at number two doubles over Bea Morales and Lario while the Mocs got won by default at number three to take a 3-0 lead into singles.
The Mocs (5-11) picked up a default win at number six singles for a 4-0 margin, before Valdosta (8-7) rallied back to win the next three singles matches. At #1, the Blazers' Morales, ranked 15th nationally, bested Riutort, 6-2, 6-0, while at #4, Poncelet downed the Mocs' Taylor-Dean, 6-0, 6-1. The Valdosta rally continued with a 7-5, 6-1 win by Taylor Vinge over FSC's Katie Stanford.
While Spagnuolo was battling Valdostra's Rink at #2, Mensikova dispatched Lario for the clinching fifth point.
The Mocs play next on Wednesday as they travel to Daytona Beach to face Embry-Riddle at 3:30 p.m.
