Weekend kicks off with 6-1 home win

Saturday, March 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Air Force

3/11/2023 5:21:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Lopes take doubles point and 5 singles matches in dominant win

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon women's tennis team kicked off the weekend with a 6-1 win over Air Force at the GCU Tennis Facility on Saturday.

The Lopes (5-6) won the doubles point for the seventh consecutive match and took care of business in singles winning five of the six courts to get improve to 3-2 at home this season.

It came down to the wire in doubles but the Lopes clinched the point to take the early advantage. Courts two and three finished nearly simultaneously as both the Falcons and Lopes took a court. Air Force (4-7) won 6-4 at No. 2 over GCU freshman Anali Kocevar and graduate student Madeline Lamoreaux. At the same time at court three freshman Dania Deaifi and Valentina Del Marco won the five of the final six games of their match to win 6-3.

Doubles all came down to the top court with GCU senior Natasha Puehse and Strombacha, the reigning WAC Doubles Players of the Week. Puehsea and Strombacha jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, eventually winning 6-3 to clinch the 1-0 lead for the Lopes.

In singles the Lopes took the first set on three courts and parlayed them into straight set wins to clinch the dual-match win. Kocevar was in complete control of her match at court three winning 6-2, 6-3 while Strombacha on the adjacent court won 6-4 ,6-2 to put GCU up 3-0.

Lamoreaux, the reigning WAC Singles Player of the Week clinched the team win at court five winning 7-5 in a close first set and dominating the second winning 6-2.

Up 4-0 the Lopes continued to fight on the remaining three courts. Puehse at the No. 1 position roared back after dropping the first set 6-1 to win the next two 6-2, 6-1 to get to 5-3 on the year. Deaifi also rebounded a first set loss to win 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in her match on court four.

The Falcons picked up their lone point of the match with a three-set win over Del Marco at court six.

The Lopes will host New Mexico in their final nonconference match on Monday before WAC play begins next week. First serve at the GCU Tennis Facility is set for 1 p.m.