OWENSBORO, Ky. - Webster University opened its women's tennis spring schedule here Friday by posting an impressive come-from-behind 5-3 win over Midway University in its opening match of the Kentucky Wesleyan College Invitational at KWC Tennis Courts. 

With the win, Webster improves to 1-1 on the season, while Midway falls to 5-2 on the year. 

Webster's win was sealed thanks to a win at No. 2 singles by senior Madison Watts (Rogersville, Mo./Logan Rogersville). Watts picked up an 8-2 win over Midway's Lisette D'Onofrio. The singles win as the 24th of Watts' career. 

Watts' win was one of four in singles the Gorloks collected against the Eagles after Midway opened Friday's match by winning two of the three doubles matches. 

"Excited to be back and start the season with a big win and I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone performs the rest of the weekend," Webster head coach Martha Davis-Goldstein said after Friday's late night win.

In doubles action, WU's only win came at the No. 1 spot as Watts and senior Sara Rice (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) picked up a win by injury over Annette Tran and Erin Byassee after leading 7-5 in the match. Prior to the injury to Tran, both teams were tied at 40-40. The doubles win was the 38th in Watts' career, which is seventh on the school's all-time chart. 

The other two doubles matches went to Midway as D'Onofrio and Carly Poste picked up an 8-2 win at the No. 2 spot over sophomore Maggie Federhofer (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) and freshman Emma Ferguson (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan) and Winter Bruggeworth and Jessica Keith earned a hard-fought 8-5 win at the No. 3 spot over freshmen Navone Armstrong (St. Louis, Mo./McCluer North) and Addie Struckman (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell). 

Trailing 2-1 heading into singles, Webster tied the match at 2-2 as Rice won by default at the No. 1 spot thanks to Tran's injury, but Midway retook the lead after its 8-1 win at the No. 4 spot by Byassee over Ferguson. 

The Gorloks, though, would retie the match after Federhofer picked up an 8-6 win at the No. 3 spot over Poste, before Watts' win sealed the match and Armstrong picked up her win at No. 5 spot over Keith, 8-6. 

Webster will close out play in the KWC Invitational on Saturday, March 2 as they face Kentucky Wesleyan at 2 p.m. and Brescia at 4 p.m.