TAMPA, Fla. – Fooling the No. 45 team in the nation, the No. 5 Saint Leo women's tennis team rolled the University of Tampa by a 7-2 final score on Wednesday's April Fool's Day contest at the Naimoli Family Tennis Complex.
The Lions improve to 13-3 overall with a 3-1 tally in Sunshine State Conference play while the hosting Spartans fall to 8-6 on the season with a 0-4 setback in SSC contests.
The Green and Gold earned a 2-1 advantage at the conclusion of doubles play, as Pauline Helgesson and Marine Beugre-Guyot ousted the Tampa tandem of Gianna Pinasco and Emily Hewland by an 8-2 score. The Lions duo of Katherine Zaatini and Paula Montoya bested their Spartan counterparts by an 8-6 score.
Beugre-Guyot rolled Pinasco 6-0, 6-1 to kick off singles action while Montoya followed suit, defeating Hewland by a pair of 6-3 and 6-1 sets. No. 14 ranked Isabella Robbiani clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-0 sweep of Tampa's top court contender, Kristen Mee.
Maria Benkirane added a 6-1, 6-2 straight-sets win before Gabrielle Paul concluded the scoring for the Lions with a familiar sweep of foe Cameron Moskol by a pair of 6-3 and 6-1 set scores. The Green and Gold concluded the match with a 7-2 victory.
Saint Leo will continue SSC action with a 3 p.m. home contest on April 6, hosting No. 44 Florida Tech at the Saint Leo Tennis Complex.
For more information on the Saint Leo women's tennis program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
