The Georgia Gwinnett College women's tennis team concluded its Grizzly Invitational with a 4-0 home sweep against No. 22 University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky) on Saturday afternoon at the GGC Tennis Facility.

The Grizzlies (7-1) won both matches at this year's invitational by sweeps – increasing the team's consecutive streak of wins by a sweep score to three matches.

GGC once again used strong doubles to quickly grab momentum of the match, winning 12 of the 13 games across the No. 1 and No. 3 courts.

Junior Alexandra Melnikova teamed with freshman Diana Ilie to win all six games at the top of the lineup. The duo of senior Justine Lespes and freshman MaryLove Edwards clinched the doubles point with a 6-1 triumph on the No. 3 court.

The strong play carried over to singles action with the Grizzlies winning all three matches in straight sets. Lespes, the NAIA's No. 3-ranked singles player, gave the team a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-2 victory on the No. 1 court.

Then, senior Isid Hernandez also was victorious by a 6-2, 6-2 score on the No. 5 court. Saturday marked her first action at No. 5 singles this spring, being promoted after playing her first seven matches on the No. 6 court.

Ilie closed out the match with a strong 6-2, 6-1 triumph on the No. 6 court, posting the clinching victory for the first time in young collegiate career.
 
Coach's Corner
"We continued to put our energy into doubles today, looking to stay more aggressive throughout the match. That will be a key for us as we move throughout the rest of this season. The players stepped up in singles and performed at a high level on every court. We're looking to improve every day. That motivation was revealed in our performances this weekend," said Head Coach Hannah Keeling.
 
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Montreat College (North Carolina) on Friday, February 28, at the GGC Tennis Facility, starting at 3:30 p.m.