ORLANDO, Fla. — The Ave Maria Women's Tennis team got their first win of the 2025 season Friday beating the Wittenberg Tigers 7-0. The Lady Gyrenes dominated in the cross-association match against the NCAA Division III Tigers, winning all three sets in the doubles round and 12 of the 13 sets in the singles round.
In the opening doubles round, Ave Maria swept all three sets, losing a total of just five games across the three pairings. Abigail Rich and Maria Hofmeister were the first to finish for the Gyrenes, winning their set 6-1. Clara Penido and Mariangel Nunez were next off the court with a 6-2 win followed by Dana Nunez and Elizabeth Pince with a 6-4 win. It is the first time this season the Gyrenes have won the doubles point.
In the singles round, five of the six pairings were clean two-set sweeps for the Gyrenes.
Hofmeister was the first player to finish for the Gyrenes, winning the sixth pairing 6-0, 6-1 and putting the Gyrenes up 2-0.
Dana Nunez was next in with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the third pairing. The match clinching point was delivered by Mariangel Nunez with a 6-0, 6-2 win in the second pairing.
Since Friday was between an NAIA and NCAA school, the final three singles pairing played out instead of ending unfinished.
Rich and Pince were the next two finish, Rich beating her opponent 6-0, 6-2 and Pince winning 6-1, 6-2.
Penido was in the top pairing and needed a tiebreaker set to secure the seventh and final point for the Gyrenes. She won the first 7-6 but then dropped the next set 6-4. In the tiebreaker, Penido got the last hurrah, winning 10-6.
Friday was the first singles wins in the spring season for Penido, Dana Nunez, Pince and Hofmeister.
With the win, Ave Maria improves to 1-3. Friday was the first 7-0 win for the Gyrenes since April 12, 2022, over the Florida National Conquistadors.
The Gyrenes have two more matches at the United States Tennis Association National Campus in Orlando Saturday and Tuesday to wrap un their non-conference schedule. Saturday, the Gyrenes take on the St. Norbert Green Knights, another NCAA Division III school from the Midwest. Ave Maria concludes their stay in Orlando Tuesday when they take on SUNY New Paltz.
