WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team could not pull off a massive upset and win a Sun Conference title on Friday, but still emerged with several landmark wins in a 6-1 loss to the No. 1 Keiser University Seahawks. The Gyrenes won two matches on the day against the nation's top team, with both wins coming against top ten opponents. It also marked the first time in program history for the Gyrenes to win multiple matches against the powerhouse.

Perhaps the biggest win of the day for the Gyrenes came in doubles play. Lara Teodoro and Vitoria Barandas defeated the third-ranked doubles team in the nation, beating Keiser's Isabella Perez Flores and Florencia Araya by a 7-5 score. The win for Teodoro and Barandas was their seventh consecutive victory, and marked AMU's first ever doubles win over Keiser. The Seahawks did win the other two doubles matches by scores of 6-0 and 6-2 to secure the doubles point.

Despite falling in five of the six singles matches, the Gyrenes got another top ten win at the third singles flight. Senior Andrea Rodriguez Oria won her ninth match in her last ten tries, beating the sixth-ranked player in the nation, Keiser's Ksenija Vujacic. Not only did Rodriguez Oria emerge victorious, she did so in straight sets, knocking off the nationally-ranked player by a score of 6-4, 6-3.

The Gyrenes, who would have won their first Sun Conference championship if they had pulled the massive upset on the Seahawks, couldn't manage another point in singles play. The remaining five matches were all decided in straight sets, with Regina Ruiz, playing above her normal flight at the fourth position, giving the best opposition in a 6-3, 6-2 loss to the seventh-ranked player in the nation, Yvette Schmucker.

The loss locks Ave Maria into the second seed in next week's Sun Conference Tournament, giving a first round bye to the Gyrenes in the first ever six-team tournament. The Gyrenes will finish off the regular season on Saturday, playing No. 12 St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens. The Bobcats will be fighting for seeding on the final day of the regular season, while AMU's seeding is secure. Opening serve from Miami Gardens is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.