SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University women's tennis team saw its first competitive action under first year head coach
Noel Maurin as the Lions traveled to Tampa to compete in the Hillsborough College Invitational. The Lions faced off against opponents from Eckerd College, Florida Southern College, University of Tampa, Southeastern University as well as the hosts Hillsborough College over the three day event.
The team of sophomore
Gabriela Almanza and senior
Nora Catanzarite had a perfect weekend, going 3-0 in doubles action. They opened the event with a 6-1 victory over a doubles team from Eckerd. On day two of the event, the pair defeated another Eckerd pair 6-4 before concluding the doubles event with a 6-2 win over a team from Florida Southern.
Freshman
Sofia Hadab and senior
Karina Montoya teamed up and went 2-1 in doubles action on the weekend. They opened up with a tough 6-3 loss to a team from Tampa before rattling off back-to-back wins over two SEU doubles opponents. On Saturday they defeated their opponents 6-2 before taking a 6-4 victory on Sunday.
The team of senior
Catherine Rabatin and sophomore
Isabella Temenugov were unable to pick up a victory as they fell to a team from Tampa and a pair of opponents from SEU over the three-day weekend.
In singles action, it was Almanza leading the way as she went 2-1 on the weekend. She opened the event with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Valentina Sanchez of Eckerd. She then had a 7-6 (6), 2-0 (ret.) loss to an opponent from SEU before returning on the final day to take a 8-0 victory over Camilla Navarro of SEU.
Hadab and Montoya each picked up one singles victory. Habad took down Cate Cole of Eckerd 6-3, 6-1 on day one while Montoya defeated Soleia Rutter of Eckerd 7-5, 6-3. The remaining three Lions were unable to capture a singles win although Rabatin picked up a 6-2 opening set victory over Josefine Hardelin of Tampa before falling 6-4, 10-6 in the final two sets.
The Lions will be back in action Oct. 16-19 at the ITA Regional Championship in Lakeland, Fla.
