LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria tennis teams excelled at the YTF Tournament this past weekend, claiming several individual titles at the fall tournament hosted by Southeastern University. The charge was led by reigning NAIA First Team All-American Lara Teodoro, who went undefeated on the weekend en route to a sweep of the main singles and doubles titles.

In singles action, Teodoro went 4-0 in the main draw, dropping just one set along the way and winning 6-0, 6-2 in the championship round. Her opponent in the final was fellow Gyrene Valentine Colin, who won three straight matches to reach the final as the number seven seed. Colin's wins included a victory over Southeastern's Martina Picardi, who was the tournament's number two seed. Colin also knocked off Andrea Rodriguez Oria in the semis, who marked the third AMU player in the final four. 

Teodoro and doubles partner Vitoria Barandas rolled through the doubles bracket, with only one match closer than an 8-4 score. That match was the final, which saw Teodoro and Barandas take on Rodriguez Oria and Julia Candiotto, who dropped just six points in their first three matches. Teodoro and Barandas won 8-6 in the all-Ave Maria final.

Ellie Hire and Gabrielle Benn both advanced to the semifinal round of the red draw, and Hire earned her way into the final. Hire's run to the championship match included a victory over Southeastern's Maria Martinez, who was the red draw's number one seed.

On the men's side, Fernando Alejandro Orihuela was Ave Maria's top player, getting to the championship round of the main draw. Orihuela did not drop a set in his first four matches before finally falling top seeded Bruno Pessoa of Warner in the final. Nicholas Hofmeister also earned three wins for AMU, playing into the semifinals. In the back draw of the main bracket, Tom Alias won twice to advance to the final round. 

Hofmeister also played well in the doubles event, as he and partner Felipe Amorim battled their way into the final. The Gyrenes earned half of the spots in the semifinals, as Hofmeister and Amorim met up with Orihuela and Sebastian Grijalva in the third round, which proved to be an 8-5 win for the Ave Maria veterans. In the red draw of the men's event, Graham Gibbs and Adriel Bousquet both earned first round wins.

The YTF Tournament concludes the major fall season for the Ave Maria tennis programs, and serves as a springboard into what is expected to be a successful spring season. Both the women's and the men's programs are expected to be contenders for postseason play, with the women finishing the 2021 season within the top 25.