DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women' s tennis team (5-3) got off to a strong start in doubles, but couldn't maintain the lead, falling 6-1 to NCAA I Eastern Kentucky, Monday at the Crotty Tennis Complex. Playing according to NCAA I rules, the Eagles won all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead, but the Colonels rebounded to win all six singles matches to improve to 5-6 on the year.
 
The first match off the court was at the third position where Giovanna Tomiotto and Ana Gonzalez-Hoy downed Melissa Gerritsen and Raquel Montalvo 6-4. At No. 2 doubles, Paula Ortiz Couder and Kathryn Bock climbed out of a 5-0 hole and rallied to force a tiebreaker, which they won against Marcela Jimenez and Marina Marti, 11-9, to assure the Eagles of the doubles point.
 
At the top doubles spot, Anna Götz and Hui-I Huang also needed a tiebreaker to complete the Eagles' doubles sweep as they bested Amandine Faouzi and Kristina Labeja 7-6, 7-1 in the tiebreaker.
 
Gerritsen got the first point for the Colonels with a 6-0, 6-1 decision against Gonzalez-Hoy on court five. Marti topped Tomiotto by the same margin at No. 4, and Jimenez clinched the EKU victory by holding off Ortiz Couder 7-5, 6-2 at the third position.
 
Faouzi further extended the EKU lead to 4-1 with a straight-set (6-3, 6-1) victory over Huang at the top spot, while Labeja and Montalvo managed to pull out a pair of three set victories with Labeja holding off Götz 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 at No. 2, and Montalvo topped Bock 6-1, 2-6, 10-4 at No. 6.
 
The Eagles will be back on the courts at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday to host St. Francis (Ill.) at the Crotty Tennis Complex.
Tennis Match Results

Eastern Kentucky 6, Embry-Riddle 1

 Singles competition
1. FAOUZI, Amandine (EKUW) def. Hui-I Huang (ERAUW14) 6-3, 6-1
2. LABEJA, Kristina (EKUW) def. Anna Gotz (ERAUW14) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
3. JIMENEZ, Marcela (EKUW) def. Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUW14) 7-5, 6-2
4. MARTI, Marina (EKUW) def. Giovanna Tomiotto (ERAUW14) 6-0, 6-1
5. GERRITSEN, Melissa (EKUW) def. Ana Gonzalez Hoy (ERAUW14) 6-0, 6-1
6. MONTALVO, Raquel (EKUW) def. Kathryn Bock (ERAUW14) 1-6, 6-2, 10-4

 Doubles competition
1. Hui-I Huang/Anna Gotz (ERAUW14) def. FAOUZI, Amandine/LABEJA, Kristina (EKUW) 7-6 (7-1)
2. Paula Ortiz Couder/Kathryn Bock (ERAUW14) def. JIMENEZ, Marcela/GERRITSEN, Melissa (EKUW) 7-6 (11-9)
3. Ana Gonzalez Hoy/Giovanna Tomiotto (ERAUW14) def. MONTALVO, Raquel/MARTI, Marina (EKUW) 6-4

Match Notes:
Eastern Kentucky 5-6
Embry-Riddle 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,4,1,3,6,2)
Jimenez clinched at No. 4 singles