DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team won two matches against their NCAA Division II foe on Wednesday evening, but eventually fell 6-1 to the Embry-Riddle Eagles in Daytona Beach. A win at the number one doubles spot and the number four singles spot proved to be the Gyrenes' high points against the Eagles.

AMU's nationally ranked duo of Lara Teodoro and Vitoria Barandas picked up their third win of the spring, and second against NCAA Division opponents, with a 6-4 win over ERAU's top team of Itxaso Blanco and Carla Cabrera. However, the Brazilian duo's win came after Embry-Riddle had already claimed the doubles point. The Eagles won the number double two doubles spot by a 6-1 score, and clinched the point with a 6-2 win at number three.

Barandas won her second consecutive singles match at the number four spot, giving Ave Maria a point on the Eagles. The freshman rolled past Embry-Riddle's Alessia Tripaldelli, winning 6-3 in the first set and then putting the match away with a 6-1 win in the second. Barandas has now won back-to-back matches against quality opposition, beating players from St. Thomas and Embry-Riddle.

In the other five matches, Embry-Riddle won in straight sets, although the Gyrenes were competitive in a number of them. At the number one slot, Teodoro took Blanco to a tiebreaker in the first set before falling 7-1 in the tiebreaker and 6-2 in the second set. Valentine Colin was in both of her sets against Cabrera, but dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision. 

The Gyrenes return to NAIA competition Friday morning, when Ave Maria welcomes the Spirit of Ottawa University Arizona to the AMU Tennis Complex. Opening serve of Ave Maria's final home match in the month of February is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on the Ave Maria University campus.