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ELKTON, Md. – The Lightning were competitive in some individual matches and particularly one doubles match, but they were ultimately outmatched by Division I University of Delaware as the Goldey-Beacom College women's tennis team fell to the Blue Hens, 7-0 at Elkton Indoor Tennis Facility.
Freshman Gabriela Chaves made her singles match interesting in the sixth flight against UD's Montse Ripoll before bowing out, 6-3, 6-1. Chaves also teamed up with junior Marina Sales for the first time this season at No. 1 doubles and the brand new pair took Delaware's Ivana Petrich and Ripoll to a tiebreaker before falling, 9-8 (3).
Sales and Chaves were one of three new doubles pairs making their debuts in head coach Joe Kissel's line-up. Sophomore Vanessa Leon, usually paired with freshman Laura Cure, teamed with sophomore Blanca Sancho for the first time this season at the No. 2 spot and fell prey to Megan Doran and Samantha Carnall's UD school record 35th career doubles victory. Cure and fellow freshman Marie Louise Klein, went down at the No. 3 doubles spot to Dorothy Safron and Sophie Sjoberg-Sundstrom.
Kissel's singles lineup did not change from the Fall Season, where the Lightning earned an 11-2 record and advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference finals for a second consecutive season. On this night, however, GBC was unable to pick up a win in the six singles matches, but did go 1-1 in exhibition singles play with Leon capturing an 8-1 win over UD's Amanda Halstrom.
The Lightning fell to 11-3 on the season (0-1 in the Spring) while the Blue Hens, who compete in the Colonial Athletic Association and play their primary season in the Spring, improved to 5-1 for the year.
This match marks the first of two consecutive Division I Lightning opponents to open the Spring season as GBC will go on the road to face Delaware State next on Mar. 20 at 1 p.m. The Lightning were ranked No. 5 in the most recent Division II East Region poll.
