LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Coach John Mican never saw this coming.

When Mairin Cotter walked on to the Bellarmine University women's tennis team four years ago, she was expected to wow the program with her academic prowess, not necessarily her court abilities. Instead, she's made a career of doing both.

Late Friday evening in a match against Campbellsville at the University of Louisville, Cotter, now a senior, became the program's all-time leader in singles wins as the Knights dispatched NAIA's 18th-ranked Tigers 7-2.

"What Mairin has meant to this tennis program is immeasurable, both with her play and her leadership qualities," Mican said. 

Cotter, at No. 5, defeated Brooklyn Harris 6-1, 6-0 to claim her 66th career singles victory and move past Rebecca Porter on the program's all-time list. Cotter is 8-1 this season and began her singles career with a 19-match win streak.

Bellarmine (6-0) won two of three doubles matches and five of six singles matches. Sophomore Jennifer Skonieczny (No. 2 singles/No. 2 doubles) secured a pair of wins while Cotter, sophomore Ashley Jonathan (No. 3 singles), senior Marissa Kovach (No. 4 singles), freshman Aubrey Smith (No. 6 singles), freshman Ava Ratcliff (No. 2 doubles), senior Bess Fley (No. 3 doubles) and senior Mary Elaine Kuo (No. 3 doubles) all recorded one victory each.

"The depth this team has this year is incredible and will keep us fresh and ready for a big push at the end of the season," Mican said.

Skonieczny and Ratcliff were down 0-5 but surged back to win the final eight games. Along with the win by Fley and Kuo, Skonieczny bumped Bellarmine's lead to 3-1 with her singles victory. Smith didn't drop a single game in following Jonathan's win with a romp that clinched the team triumph.

"Jennifer was the key to our win tonight," said Mican, whose squad will face West Virginia State, ranked third in the Atlantic Region, on Sunday afternoon at neutral-site Ashland. "She and Ava started out slow in doubles but once she got going there was no stopping her. Aubrey really showed what a top-notch competitor she is. Her match was never in doubt as she blasted winners all over the court."

On the men's side, Campbellsville, ranked fourth in the NAIA, captured a 9-0 win over the Knights.

Bellarmine moved to 2-3 while Campbellsville is 2-0.

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