LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's tennis team pushed its record to 12-1 with a sound 8-1 victory over Maryville on Sunday at the Eddie Weber Tennis Complex.

Maryville (6-3) is a Great Lakes Valley Conference colleague of Bellarmine, but only divisional matches count toward the league standings and the Knights and Saints are separated.

Sophomores Ashley Jonathan (No. 3 singles/No. 1 doubles) and Jennifer Skonieczny (No. 2 singles/No. 2 doubles), freshman Ava Ratcliff (No. 5 singles/No. 2 doubles) and senior Mairin Cotter (No. 6 singles/No. 3 doubles) tallied two wins apiece while senior Marissa Kovach (No. 4 singles), junior Maggie Walroth (No. 1 doubles) and senior Bess Fley (No. 3 doubles) nabbed one victory each.

Bellarmine swept the doubles matches in convincing fashion, dropping three games or less in each contest. The Knights took a 5-0 lead and clinched the match after Skonieczny and Jonathan won handily at Nos. 2 and 3 singles. Kovach, Ratcliff and Cotter outlasted their opponents at Nos. 4-6 in notching tough wins with tiebreakers involved.

"We handled the elements very well today and when the final three singles matches were moved indoors we played some clutch tiebreakers," Knights Coach John Mican said. "We know Maryville is a solid team, and we were going to be in for a battle. They ended last year ranked 10th in the Midwest Region. We came out strong in doubles right from the first point and carried that concentrated effort into singles.

"Jennifer was key in the win as was Ashley. Players from the North get so used to playing in the wind and cold that they learn how to use the elements to their advantage. They both were so business-like in their approach to the match today. Our effort has been great in all our matches this year and today our focus matched our intensity."  

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