The NAIA's No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College women's tennis team collected an impressive 8-1 victory at NCAA Division III No. 9 Emory University (Georgia) on Tuesday evening in Atlanta.

The Grizzlies (16-1) swept the three doubles matches to grab a 3-0 lead in the match between crosstown rivals. This was the team's second victory of the spring season over Emory after a 5-2 win in Lawrenceville on February 10.

Seniors Angel Carney and Tereza Koplova won eight of the nine games on the No. 3 court for the visitors' first point of the day. Then, the junior tandem of Stephanie Fernandez and Iryna Lysykh scored an 8-2 victory at No. 2 doubles.

GGC took the early 3-0 lead heading into singles when the top pairing of junior Justine Lespes and sophomore Cassidy Mataia won by an 8-6 score.

In singles, the Grizzlies started by collecting a pair of straight-set victories after winning the first set in four of the six singles matches. Lysykh was victorious 6-4, 6-1 on the No. 4 court before Lespes won by identical 6-3 set scores in the No. 3 encounter for the dual match-clinching fifth point.

GGC's other three points came through hard-fought three-set matches. Carney rebounded from dropping the opening set to win on the No. 5 court through consecutive 6-2 and 6-0 scores. Fernandez won a third-set tiebreaker 7-4 to win a thrilling No. 6 match. She had won the opening set by a 6-4 score before coming out ahead in the deciding set.

Junior Teodora Jovic also was victorious at No. 1 singles in three sets, winning the deciding third set by a 6-4 score. She had taken the opening set 6-2.
  "Our hard work is paying off. This was definitely one of our best doubles performances of this season. Iryna (Lysykh) is starting to make good strides. She played great today. We will keep working and continue focusing on specifics moving forward," said Head Coach Hannah Keeling.
  Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Middle Georgia State University in a Senior Day match on Saturday, April 22, from the GGC Tennis Facility.