MONTEVALLO, Ala. -- The top-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Armstrong Atlantic finally opened the 2014 dual match season, blanking Montevallo by a 9-0 score on Sunday afternoon.
The Pirates (1-0, 1-0 PBC) - who had two previous matches postponed or cancelled due to rain - finally got one in as Armstrong extended its regular season league winning streak to 111 consecutive matches, dating back to 2003. Montevallo falls to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the league with the loss.
The win was also head coach Simon Earnshaw's 700th career victory at the helm of Armstrong men's and women's tennis combined. Earnshaw is now 384-33 as coach of Armstrong women's tennis in his 15th season and 316-76 as coach of the Armstrong men.
Armstrong did not give up a point in sweeping all three doubles matches from the Falcons. The second-ranked doubles duo of Aleksandra Filipovski and Barbora Krtickova downed Nikola Polcerova and Anais Robert 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, while the No. 6-ranked duo of Marlen Hacke and Olga Kalodzitsa defeated Allison Howell and Haley Highfield 8-0 at No. 2 doubles. Clara Perez and Carolina Prats-Millan upended Liucija Smaizyte and Juanita Ossa 8-0 at No. 3 doubles.
The Pirates then won all six singles matches in straight sets, starting with No. 3-ranked Filipovski's 6-0, 6-0 win against Polcerova at No. 1 singles. No. 15-ranked Kritckova blanked Smaizyte, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 2 singles, while Prats-Millan downed Robert, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 3 singles.
No. 3 Barry 8, Embry-Riddle 1
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry beat future Sunshine State Conference member Embry-Riddle 8-1 on Sunday at Buccaneer Tennis Center. The win was the second in as many days for the Bucs, who opened the season yesterday.
Ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II, Barry won all of the doubles matches and the top five singles flights on a day Kimmy Twelker secured the clinching point with her 6-2, 6-3 win against Anna Gotz at No. 2 singles.
Bucs freshman Blanka Szavay was a 6-1, 6-2 winner against No. 27 Kristina Marova at No. 3 singles.
Barry senior Cristina Valladares, who sat out last season, won her first match since 2012 when she held on to win a second set tiebreaker, beating Eva Vilar, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6), at No. 4.
No. 8 Saint Leo 7, No. 21 Nova Southeastern 2
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Nova Southeastern (1-2, 1-1 SSC) took on one of the nation's top programs in No. 8 Saint Leo (2-0, 1-0 SSC) at home Sunday but lost 7-2.
No. 9 Rollins 6, Palm Beach Atlantic 3
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Weather pushed Rollinsâ season opener back two days, but the ninth-ranked Tars showed midseason form, beating 30th-ranked Palm Beach Atlantic 6-3 on the road Sunday.
Rollins (1-0) was down 2-1 after doubles, but rode strong singles play to the victory.
The Tars first point came in the No. 3 doubles match as Ashley Loft and Johanna Olsson teamed to beat Vilja Vahatalo and Liddy Robinson 8-2.
In singles play, 40th-ranked Elissa DeCampli was upset in the No. 1 match by Veen Vasquez 6-3, 6-3, but that would be the last point PBA (1-2) would win.
Shannon Etten beat Yoanna Peshev 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2 and Olsson picked up a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 comeback win against Jessica Wharton at No. 3.
The next two matches also went three sets with Emma Wookey beating Vahatalo 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 at No. 4 and Loft taking Maja Jovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 at No. 5.
Katie Wookey won the sixth-seed match, defeating Robinson 6-3, 6-2.
