No. 1 Lynn Women’s Tennis Cruises in NCAA National Tournament Opener

May 22, 2019

Women’s Tennis

Lynn 4, Grand Valley St. 0

Altamonte Springs, Fla. – Lynn University’s top-ranked women’s tennis team kicked off competition at the 2019 NCAA National Championships on Wednesday, breezing past No. 28 Grand Valley State in the Sweet 16, 4-0.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Lynn 4, GVSU 0

Records: #1 Lynn (25-0), #28 GVSU (23-5)

Location: Sanlando Park | Altamonte Springs, Fla.

All-Time Series: Lynn leads 2-0

Get Social: Twitter – @Lynn_Knights | Instagram – @Lynn_Knights | Facebook – /LynnFightingKnights

HOW IT HAPPENED:

· Lynn started off a bit slow in doubles, but once the Fighting Knights settled in, they easily took two of the three bouts to claim the point.

· Giorgia Pigato and Eleonora Liga got things started with a 6-1 triumph at No. 3 doubles before Leolia Jeanjean and Ulyana Grib clinched the doubles point with a 6-0 shutout at the top flight.

· Federica Mordegan and Eliska Petrackova were ahead 3-2 at No. 2 doubles.

· Lynn needed three quick, straight-set wins in singles action to take down the Lakers and advance.

· Liga flew through her match at the fourth flight, tallying a 6-0, 6-1 triumph.

· Mordegan gave Lynn its third point with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 3 singles.

· At No. 2 singles, 39^th-ranked Grib sealed the deal with a 6-1, 6-0 win.

· The Fighting Knights also won the respective first sets and were ahead in the second frames at the first, fifth and sixth flights.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

· For the first time, all 16 teams at the NCAA National Championships received a seed coming into the tournament. Lynn is the No. 3 seed and GVSU is the No. 14 seed.

· The Blue and White defeated Nova Southeastern last week to win the South Region II bracket, clinching the team’s 20th appearance at the NCAA National Championships in the past 23 years.

· Lynn has won the NCAA National Championship three times with six runner-up finishes.

· The Fighting Knights (25-0) have secured their first 25-win season since 2011.

· Liga improves to 22-0 on the season in singles play, which is the fifth-best undefeated singles record in program history.

· Jeanjean improves to 26-0 in doubles action this season. Her 26 doubles victories are tied for second-most ever in a season in program history while she is the only Fighting Knight to ever win more than 23 doubles contests in a season without a loss.

· These two programs have met just one other time before, with Lynn taking a 9-0 home victory during the 2016 regular season.

UP NEXT:

Lynn takes on No. 12-ranked and No. 6-seeded North Georgia in the NCAA National Quarterfinals tomorrow, Thursday, May 23, at 9 a.m.

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