AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team concluded the regular season this weekend, facing off with two of the nation's top ten teams. The Gyrenes earned points in both matches, but could not secure an upset victory over No. 2 Keiser, falling 4-1, or No. 9 St. Thomas, falling 4-2. The defeats put the Gyrenes 2-5 in Sun Conference play heading into next week's Sun Conference Tournament, where Ave Maria will be the five seed.

In Friday's match against Keiser, the Gyrenes nearly won the doubles point, getting a win at the third flight before a tight loss at the top flight. AMU's team of Regina Ruiz and Lauren Berns won 6-4 in their match, the second to finish. Keiser started doubles play with a 6-0 win at the second flight, leaving the doubles point down to the top flight. In a showdown between the seventh and eleventh ranked pairs in the nation, it was Keiser that emerged with a 7-5 win and the doubles point.

AMU's standout in singles play was Clara Penido, who earned Ave Maria's lone point of the afternoon. Penido rolled to a 6-3, 6-2 decision at the third flight, putting the Gyrenes on the board. Keiser had little trouble clinching the match, though, taking decisive victories at the fourth, fifth, and sixth flights. Vitoria Barandas also had a exemplary performance, taking a set from the second-ranked player in the nation, Violet Apisah, before their match was abandoned due to Keiser's clinch.

Saturday's match against St. Thomas started well for the Gyrenes, who claimed the doubles point against the Bobcats. Barandas and Penido got back in the win column with a 6-2 win at the top flight, while Ruiz and Berns finished an undefeated doubles week with a 6-1 win at the third flight. Although St. Thomas won the match at the second flight, Ave Maria's efforts were enough to put the Gyrenes ahead of the ninth-ranked team in the nation heading into singles play. 

Penido continued to play well in singles action, earning the lone Gyrene singles win for the second day in a row. The Brazilian junior again won in straight sets at the third flight, claiming a 7-6, 6-3 victory. However, Penido was the lone win for the Gyrenes, with the Bobcats winning at the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth flights to claim the match. The lone Gyrene to win a set other than Penido was Nicolle Koop, who won in the first set at the fifth flight before dropping the last two.

Ave Maria will get a second chance at the Bobcats in The Sun Conference Tournament, as the fifth-seeded Gyrenes will take on the fourth-seeded Bobcats in the quarterfinal round. That matchup is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, with action taking place in Brunswick on the campus of the College of Coastal Georgia and continuing through Friday.