PENSACOLA, Fla. – Coming off an exciting ITA Indoor Team National Championship and a subsequent No. 1 ranking in the country, the University of Indianapolis women's tennis team embarked down south to Pensacola, Fla., for their annual Spring Break trip. Their first matchup of the two-match trip saw them facing once again a ranked opponent, as they were lined up with the No. 16 West Alabama Tigers (5-1). The Greyhounds left the contest with their perfect record intact, extending their undefeated record to 9-0.

Balls started to fly first in doubles play, which saw the Hounds come out 2-1 for the first point of the contest. Juniors Nikol Alekseeva and Anna Novikova struck first with a decisive 6-1 win to start the afternoon. The Tigers fought back with a vengeance in the No. 3 doubles spot, taking the win over junior Maria Solnyshkina and sophomore Sofia Sharonova, 6-0. The doubles point then came to a nail-biting finish in the No. 2 spot with seniors Alina Kislitskaya and reigning GLVC Player of the Week Kristina Lagoda. There was strong back and forth between the Hounds and Tigers pairs, but like the entire season so far, the Hounds emerged victorious, 7-5, to secure the doubles point.

Singles action was another successful affair for the Hounds, as they won four of the six available points. Novikova took first blood with quick 6-3, 6-0 victory. She was followed by the Tigers' Henden Ly, taking the second point over Lagoda 6-0, 6-4. Solnyshkina secured the Hounds third point of the evening with a singles win of her own. She took the first set 6-1 before her Tigers opponent fought to keep the match close before falling, 7-6, to the Hounds junior.

The back-and-forth continued in singles as the Tigers took another point off the No. 1 team in the nation, with Sharonova in the No. 6 singles spot falling in a three-set thriller. Sharonova fell behind quick in the first set losing 6-1 before firing back with a commanding win of her own, 6-2. That steam ran out as the third set approached with Sharonova falling 6-3 in the final set.

The No. 16 Tigers continued to push the Hounds to three sets, with Kislitskaya taking the first set 6-4 before barely being edged out in the second set, 7-5. She then secured not only her match but the overall win for the Hounds with a third-set 6-4 win.

Alekseeva in the No. 1 singles spot wrapped up the Hounds evening with one ifnal win, but not being pushed to three sets for one of the only times so far this season. Alekseeva fell in first set, 7-6, before securing back-to-back set wins 7-5, 6-3.

UP NEXT
The best team in the nation returns down south for an exhibition match at the University of South Alabama on Wednesday, March 17. They then will have a matchup in the top 10 with the University of West Florida Argos, who sit as the No. 6 team in the nation on Thursday March 18.