AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team earned the biggest win in program history on Saturday afternoon, beating the number four team in the nation, the Bees of SCAD-Savannah, 5-2 at the AMU Tennis Complex in Ave Maria. The Gyrenes won six of the day's nine matches, including two against nationally ranked opponents. The win was the first in AMU history against a top five opponent, and all but ensured Ave Maria's spot in the 2022 Sun Conference Tournament next month. 

Ave Maria took two of the three doubles matches, including a win over one of the top ten teams in the nation. Lara Teodoro and Vitoria Barandas teamed to dominate two of the top 20 singles players in the nation with a 6-1 win at the number one spot, while Andrea Rodriguez Oria and Valentine Colin defeated the number five doubles pair in the nation, Francina Llompart and Alessia Piccolioro, 6-4. SCAD did win at the number three spot behind Tova Tilk Tobrand and Britain Botsford, claiming a 7-5 victory.

The Gyrenes sealed their win by claiming four of the six singles matches at the bottom four positions. The biggest win of these was provided by Valentine Colin, who defeated the number 28 player in the nation, Alessia Piccoliori, 6-3, 6-4. Including Colin's win, all four AMU wins came in straight sets - Andrea Rodriguez Oria won 6-3, 6-4 at the number four slot, Vitoria Barandas picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win at the fifth position, and Aethielle Kelkboom finished things off with a 6-2, 6-2 with at the sixth spot.

At the number one singles match, a battle of two of the top 25 players in the nation, Lara Teodoro dominated in the first set, 6-2, and led 5-4 in the second set against Priya Sukkanha before an injury forced Teodoro to retire with the second set tied at six. In the number two singles match, tenth ranked Yue Yu defeated Julia Candiotto, 6-2, 6-4.

Following the Gyrenes' biggest win of the season, Ave Maria will once again have an opportunity to top it on Wednesday afternoon. AMU will head to Lakeland for a neutral site match against Indiana Wesleyan University, who was ranked No. 3 in the newest NAIA Coaches' Poll. The matchup between the No. 3 Wildcats and the No. 24 Gyrenes is scheduled for a noon start on the Southeastern University campus.