LAKELAND, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's tennis team was unable to recover from a 3-0 deficit following doubles play and subsequently fell to Florida Southern 6-3 at the Wynee Warden Tennis Complex on Monday. The Moccasins improved to 11-8 overall, while the Eagles evened their record at 9-9 with the loss.
 
The Moccasins got the first point of the day when Sasha Nionova and Lorena Rionda topped Kathryn Bock and Paula Ortiz Couder 8-2 on court two. The match at the top spot was close throughout, but in the end Linnea Skymberg and Selin Devrimci were able to pull away from Hui-I Huang and Anna Götz 8-5. At No. 3 doubles Giovanna Tomiotto and Meena Bennett were able to cut a 4-1 deficit to 6-5, but they were unable to overtake Miroslava Mensikova and Natalija Popovic, falling 8-6 at the third position.
 
Popovic was also able to best Tomiotto in singles play, earning a 6-1, 6-2 win at the fourth singles flight to extend the FSC lead to 4-0. Ortiz Couder lost the first set 6-3, but gave Devrimci all she could handle in the second. Ortiz Couder battled Devrimci to a 6-6 draw, but FSC freshman managed to hold on for the win, clinching the Moccasin victory with a 7-5 decision in the tiebreaker.
 
Each of the four remaining singles matches went to the three sets and three of those three-setters were won by the Eagles. Bock easily won her first set against Carolyn Cuerton 6-1 and rebounded from a 6-3 loss in the second to top Cuerton 6-4 in the third for the Eagles' fourth point of the day.
 
In the longest singles match of the contest, Götz was able to come away with a 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 win against Rionda on court two and Bennett capped the scoring with a 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 of her own over Stanford.
 
The Eagles will close out the 2016 season at 4 p.m. on Tuesday when they host third-ranked Saint Leo at the Crotty Tennis Complex.
 
Tennis Match Results
Embry-Riddle vs Florida Southern
Apr 18, 2016 at Lakeland, Fla.
(Wynee Warden Complex)
 
#40 Florida Southern 6, #31 Embry-Riddle 3
 
 Singles competition
1. Linnea Skymberg (FSCW) def. Hui-I Huang (ERAUW15) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
2. Anna Gotz (ERAUW15) def. Lorena Rionda (FSCW) 4-6, 6-2, 10-7
3. Selin Devrimci (FSCW) def. Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUW15) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Natalija Popovic (FSCW) def. Giovanna Tomiotto (ERAUW15) 6-1, 6-2
5. Kathryn Bock (ERAUW15) def. Carolyn Cuerton (FSCW) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
6. Meena Bennett (ERAUW15) def. Katie Stanford (FSCW) 4-6, 6-2, 10-7
 
 Doubles competition
1. Linnea Skymberg/Selin Devrimci (FSCW) def. Hui-I Huang/Anna Gotz (ERAUW15) 8-5
2. Sasha Nionova/Lorena Rionda (FSCW) def. Kathryn Bock/Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUW15) 8-2
3. Miroslava Mesikova/Natalija Popovic (FSCW) def. Giovanna Tomiotto/Meena Bennett (ERAUW15) 6-3
 
Match Notes:
Embry-Riddle 9-9; National ranking #31
Florida Southern 11-8; National ranking #40
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,3,5,2,6)
Devrimci clinched at No. 3 singles
T-4:02