WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University improved to 2-1 on the season in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Saturday as the Gorloks posted a 9-0 win over Westminster (Mo.) College at the Webster Groves Tennis Center.
With the win, Webster improved its overall record to 4-7 overall and moved to 2-1 in the league, while Westminster fell to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the league.Â
In Saturday's match, which was the third home match of the season for the Gorloks, Webster won five of the six singles matches in straight sets and swept all three doubles matches for just the second time this season, both of which have come in SLIAC play. Additionally, Webster lost a total of 33 games in the match, including 26 in singles play.Â
The Gorloks opened Saturday's match by winning all three doubles matches, including winning at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles by identical 8-2 scores.Â
At the No. 1 doubles spot, seniors
Sara Rice (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) and
Madison Watts (Rogersville, Mo./Logan Rogersville) posted n 8-5 win over Westminster's No. 1 team of Sydney Attebery and Natalie Tiffany. It was the fourth win in doubles this season for Rice and Watts as they improved their record to 4-1 on the year.
Meanwhile, in singles action, Webster opened by getting a win by default at the No. 6 spot as Madison Gregory fell ill and was unable to play her match against freshman
Addie Struckman (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell).Â
In addition the default win at the No. 6 spot, Webster also won 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 3 spot, 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot and 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 5 spot.Â
The two most competitive singles matches came at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the lineup as Watts won 6-2, 6-3 over Tiffany at the No. 2 spot and Rice needed a third set tiebreaker at No. 1 spot to outlast Attebery.Â
In No. 1 singles, Rice opened by picking up a 7-5 win, before Attebery rebounded to collect a 6-2 win in the second set and force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, the two players battled back-and-forth before Rice ultimately defeated Attebery, 10-7 in the tiebreaker to help Webster earn its shutout win.Â
With her win, Rice improved to 4-6 in singles, while Watt moved to 4-0 on the season in singles. Combined, those two players are now 65-58 all-time in singles action at Webster as Rice has compiled a career record of 38-28 and Watts is 27-30.
In addition to its 9-0 win over Westminster on Saturday, the Gorloks also collected an 8-1 win in an exhibition match against NJCAAA member, Kaskaskia College.Â
The Gorloks will return tt the court next Saturday, April 13 as they play matches in Elsah, Ill., at 10:30 a.m. against Principia College and at 2 p.m. against Blackburn College. Those two matches will mark the final two SLIAC matches of the regular season for the Gorloks.
