ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Ave Maria Women's Tennis team took on of the top teams in the NCAA Division II as they traveled up to St. Petersburg to face the No. 23 Eckerd Tritons. The Tritons won 7-0, but the Gyrenes did win a set in the doubles round.

Elizabeth Pince and Melena Mourad won their second set as a doubles pair, taking the second pairing 6-4 against Fiona Orza and Laura Ullrich. It is their first win as a pair since March 4 when they took down the Seton Hill Griffins.

Eckerd won the top pairing, and Ave Maria had to forfeit the third pairing giving the Tritons the doubles point.

In the singles, Ave Maria had to forfeit the bottom two pairings, putting Eckerd up 3-0.

The Tritons won the other four pairings to sweep the match 7-0.

Mourad was the only Gyrene to win a set, taking the first frame of the fourth pairing 6-4. She dropped the second frame 7-6 after a tiebreaker, then fell in the tiebreaker set 10-8 to give Eckerd the point.

Pince won the second most games as she forced a tiebreaker game in the first set but fell 7-6. The Tritons' player then won the next frame 6-0 to win the pairing.

With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 1-10 overall.

The Gyrenes are back on the court April 10 as the Keiser Seahawks come to town. Keiser was ranked No. 1 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Poll.