DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The second-ranked Embry-Riddle women's tennis team (9-3) came out on the winning end of a battle between two top-10 NAIA programs on Wednesday as the Eagles bested No. 9 Oklahoma Baptist (5-5) 7-2 at ERAU's Crotty Tennis Complex.

ERAU took a quick 2-0 lead after Giovanna Tomiotto and Ana Gonzalez-Hoy dispatched Alex Morales and Tobi Prater 8-1, and Kathryn Bock and Paula Ortiz Couder downed Olivia Charvat and Ashlynn Abbe 8-3 on courts three and two, respectively. The Bison were able to get a point back, however, as the top-ranked team of Anastasia Baranova and Kateryn Shkot held off Hui-I Huang and Anna Götz 8-5 at the top spot to make it 2-1 in favor the Eagles.

Ortiz Couder was the first to finish her singles match as her 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Charvat at No. 3 increased the Eagle lead to 3-1. The next match off the court was at the fourth position where Tomiotto dispatched Abbe 6-1, 6-1. Bock was not far behind as she handled Prater 6-0, 6-0 at the sixth spot to record the clinching fifth point for ERAU.

The last three singles matches were all hard-fought affairs that contributed to the match's five-hour playing time. The contest at No. 2 singles featured No. 37 Götz against No. 18 Shkot, and in the end it was the ERAU sophomore who turned a three-set (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) upset for the Eagles' sixth point of the afternoon.

On court one, 27th-ranked Huang faced a formidable foe in second-ranked Baranova. Huang held her ground and came out on the winning end of a tough 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) battle to increase the lead to 7-1.

The final match at No. 5 singles also went to three sets, and after taking the first set, OBU's Morales was able to edge Gonzalez-Hoy 6-2, 2-6, 11-9.

The Eagles will have seven days to prepare for their next match, which will be a Sun Conference contest against Webber International at 3:30 p.m. on March 25.
 

 Singles competition
1. #27 Hui-I Huang (ERAUW14) def. #2 Anastasia Baranova (OBUW) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)
2. #37 Anna Gotz (ERAUW14) def. #18 Kateryna Shkot (OBUW) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUW14) def. Olivia Charvat (OBUW) 6-2, 6-2
4. Giovanna Tomiotto (ERAUW14) def. Ashlynn Abbe (OBUW) 6-1, 6-1
5. Alex Morales (OBUW) def. Ana Gonzalez Hoy (ERAUW14) 6-2, 2-6, 11-9
6. Kathryn Bock (ERAUW14) def. Tobi Prater (OBUW) 6-0, 6-0

 Doubles competition
1. Anastasia Baranova/Kateryna Shkot (OBUW) def. Hui-I Huang/Anna Gotz (ERAUW14) 8-5 (1-0)
2. Kathryn Bock/Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUW14) def. Olivia Charvat/Ashlynn Abbe (OBUW) 8-3
3. Giovanna Tomiotto/Ana Gonzalez Hoy (ERAUW14) def. Alex Morales/Tobi Prater (OBUW) 8-1

Match Notes:
Oklahoma Baptist 5-4; National ranking #9
Embry-Riddle 9-3; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,4,6,1,5)