MOBILE, Ala.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team faced off with some of the nation's top teams, playing three of the NAIA's top ten squads in Mobile, Alabama. The Gyrenes earned their biggest win of the season to date with a 4-1 triumph over No. 10 William Carey, and dropped narrow decisions to No. 5 Xavier and No. 4 LSU Alexandria. AMU played Xavier to lead off the trip on Saturday, then played a doubleheader with Carey and LSUA on Monday. 

Against Xavier, the Gyrenes had to work from behind in the match, as the Gold Rush claimed the doubles point with wins at the first and third doubles flights. Ave Maria's team of Valentine Colin and Andrea Rodriguez Oria held a 4-3 lead in their match at the second flight, but all matches in AMU's Mobile trip were played to clinch, meaning the second doubles match went unfinished. 

The Gyrenes needed four singles wins to upset the Gold Rush, but were only able to manage two. The middle of the Gyrene lineup supplied the two wins, as Rodriguez Oria rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 win at the third flight, and Vitoria Barandas cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win at the fourth flight. Xavier was able to clinch the match with wins at the first, second, and fifth singles flights.

Ave Maria's fortunes turned against the tenth-ranked Crusaders of William Carey on Monday. AMU started well in doubles play, taking two of the three matches to earn the opening point. Barandas and Lara Teodoro were victorious, 6-3, at the first doubles flight, while Colin and Rodriguez Oria picked up the clinching point with a 7-5 victory at the second flight. 

Needing three wins to earn a major victory, the bottom of the Ave Maria lineup came through in a major way. Rodriguez Oria and Barandas continued to play stellar tennis, with both players easily winning their matches in straight sets. Those wins, coupled with Regina Ruiz's win by retirement, was enough to give AMU the 4-1 win. A fifth point could have been on the horizon for the Gyrenes, as Colin held a 6-3, 3-2 lead on the eighth ranked player in the nation when the match was clinched.

In Ave Maria's final match of the trip, LSU Alexandria claimed the doubles point to force the Gyrenes to play from behind once again. LSUA won all three doubles matches, with the closest a 6-4 decision at the third flight.

Colin earned Ave Maria's biggest win in singles play, as the senior defeated one of the top 25 players in the nation at the second flight, winning 7-6, 6-1. Rodriguez Oria and Barandas continued their dominant play, as both defeated players ranked in the top 40 in the nation in straight sets. However, AMU was not able to get the fourth singles win they needed, falling in straight sets at the first, fifth, and sixth flights.

AMU returns to action on Monday, when the Gyrenes host Florida National University at home.