The Georgia Gwinnett College women's tennis team opened play in the prestigious Grizzly Invitational with an impressive 5-0 victory against Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky) on Friday afternoon at the GGC Tennis Facility.

The 2023 Grizzly Invitational features four teams ranked inside the top 15 of the latest NAIA Top 25 poll. As if the competition wasn't tough enough, Friday's matches were played in weather conditions that featured wind gusts of over 30 miles per hour and cooler than normal temperatures.

GGC (6-1), ranked No. 2, got off to a fast start with new doubles matchups by winning 12 of their 13 games. Senior Angel Carney teamed with junior Justine Lespes for a 6-0 victory on the No. 2 court. Then, junior Stephanie Fernandez and sophomore Cassidy Mataia were victorious 6-1 at No. 1 doubles to clinch the doubles point, giving the hosts an early 1-0 lead.

In singles, Lespes continued her strong play for the day with a 6-0, 6-3 victory on the No. 2 court. Carney closed out her No. 5 match by winning all six games in the second set for a 6-4, 6-0 triumph.

Junior Teodora Jovic and Fernandez each collected straight-set victories to round out Friday's winners. Jovic won 6-4, 6-0 on the No. 1 court while Fernandez recorded a 7-5, 6-1 victory in the No. 6 match.
  "The players battled through some tough playing conditions, with very strong winds. We played with some new doubles teams. We're feeling optimistic about how they played and continuing that success through the rest of the Grizzly Invitational. The team had a really good attitude with members playing well on each singles court," said Head Coach Hannah Keeling.
  Georgia Gwinnett College continues hosting the Grizzly Invitational with a match against No. 5 Xavier University (Louisiana) on Saturday, February 18, at the GGC Tennis Facility, starting at 11 a.m.