GCU wins 7th straight, improves to 16-2

Saturday, March 30

Nacogdoches, Texas

9 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Stephen F. Austin

3/30/2024 1:10:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Lopes stay undefeated in WAC play with 6-1 win at Stephen F. Austin

By: Josh Hauser

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Grand Canyon won its seventh consecutive match to remain undefeated in conference play by defeating Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on Saturday afternoon.

GCU (16-2, 4-0 WAC) maintained pace with Tarleton State atop the WAC standings at 4-0. The Lopes and Texans meet in Phoenix on Sunday, April 7.

For the second time this week, the Lopes won the doubles point by claiming all three matches. GCU's top doubles team of graduate Natasha Puehse and senior Santa Strombacha improved to 14-3 on the season. The duo won 6-4, while GCU won 6-3 on the second court and 6-2 on the third court.

In singles play, Puehse and Strombacha cruised to victories on the top two courts to stake the Lopes to a 3-0 lead in the match. Puehse and Strombacha each won a set 6-0 and another set 6-2 while both improved to 14-2 in singles play.

Sophomore Dania Deaifi joined the winners club in singles play and clinched the match for GCU. Deaifi held down Court 6 with a 6-4, 6-1 win that put the Lopes in front 4-0, while moving her to 8-2 this season.

With the match clinched, GCU rounded out the afternoon with wins on Courts 4 and 5 by freshmen Elizaveta Morozova and Valeriia Krokhotina. For both, it was their sixth consecutive singles win with Morozova improving to 10-2 and Krokhotina moving to 11-1.

GCU's only loss on the afternoon came on Court 3 where freshman Iva Sepa went to 3-3.

Three regular-season matches remain for the Lopes and they'll all take place at GCU Tennis Facility. GCU welcomes in Abilene Christian on Thursday and Tarleton State on Sunday, a pair of visitors that have combined to go 7-1 in conference play thus far.