AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team could not stand up to one of the best teams in the nation Saturday at the AMU Tennis Complex, falling 4-0 to the Bees of SCAD-Savannah. The Gyrenes did earn a doubles win over the perennial powerhouse, provided by standout players Vitoria Barandas and Clara Penido, but could manage no other wins at home against the ninth-ranked team in the nation. 

The highlight of the day for the Gyrenes came in doubles play, where Vitoria Barandas and Clara Penido emerged victorious. The top AMU doubles team were dominant in their match against the Bees, winning 6-1. The win moved the duo's winning streak to seven matches, with the two currently 4-0 in Sun Conference play. However, SCAD claimed the other two doubles matches - 6-1 at the second flight and 6-4 at the third - to take the day's initial point.

That doubles victory proved to be all the Gyrenes could earn, as SCAD earned wins at the fourth, fifth, and sixth flights to claim the match. The matches at the top three flights remained unfinished. The closest Ave Maria came to a win in singles was provided by Barandas, who was close to forcing a third set in her match at the top flight, holding a 4-2 lead when the Bees clinched the match.

The schedule for Ave Maria gets no easier in the final week of the season, with two nationally recognized opponents coming to the AMU Tennis Complex this coming weekend. The Gyrenes will host No. 2 Keiser on Friday, with the regular season concluding Saturday afternoon against St. Thomas University, who were ranked seventh in the newest edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll. AMU will then get a week off before The Sun Conference Tournament in Brunswick, Georgia during the final week of April.