LAKELAND - The 15th-ranked Florida Southern women's tennis team dropped a close 5-4 match to fifth-ranked West Florida here Sunday at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center. The Moccasins drop to 2-2 on the season while West Florida wins its season opener.
After West Florida's number three doubles team of Diana Vlad and Samantha Echevarria defeated Lola Asis and Lorena Rionda, 8-5, Florida Southern came back to win the remaining two doubles matches. Sasha Nionova and Selin Devrimci posted an 8-4 upset over the duo of Paula Coyos and Jordana Lujan, which was ranked 12th in the NCAA Division II, at number one while Nina Schwab and Magda Stepnik won out, 8-5, over Ines Nicault and Valeria Mantilla.
In singles, Natalija Popovic upset 31st-ranked Mantilla, 6-2, 6-1 at number four to give the Moccasins a 3-1 lead. However, West Florida took the next four matches for the win.
UWF's Nicault defeated Rionda, 6-1, 6-4, at number two while Florida Southern's Devrimci fell, 6-3, 6-3, to Lujan at number three. In a battle of two nationally-ranked played, 11th ranked Coyos won out, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, over the Mocs' 13th-ranked Nionova at number one singles. At number five, Mixon downed Stepnik, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, while Florida Southern's Asis picked up the Moccasins final point with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Echevarria at number six.
Florida Southern host Flagler Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center.
