RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's tennis team defeated the NCAA Division II No. 17 St. Mary's (StMU) Rattlers 5-2 on Friday at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. 
 
UTRGV (5-5) took the 1-0 lead after doubles. The team of junior Lea Karren and sophomore Barbara Martinez moved into the No. 1 flight after their recent string of success and completely dominated the match against StMU's NCAA Division II No. 14 ranked doubles team of names. In the No. 2 flight, junior Isabelle Bahr and sophomore Marjorie Souza fought for a 6-4 win to clinch the point. 
 
Karren cruised in her No. 3 singles flight, speedily earning a 6-0, 6-1 win she controlled from the first serve. St. Mary's came back to tie the match at 2-2 with wins on the sixth and first courts by Bailey Godwin and Ashley Penshorn, the No. 10 ranked singles player in Div. II, respectively.  
 
Martinez gave the edge back to UTRGV with a 7-5, 6-2 win in the No. 4 flight, defeating the No. 68 ranked Div. II player in Kyndall Quiroz. 
 
Then, Souza clinched the victory with a determined 7-5, 6-2 win over her own in the No. 2 flight. 
 
Senior Kristyna Mamicova found herself in a lengthy bout in the No. 5 flight. After winning the first set 6-4, she dropped the second 2-6, then had to battle in a full third. With her team cheering her on, Mamicova sealed the match with a 6-3 third set. 
 
UTRGV's next match is the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opener on March 17 at 1 p.m. at Tarleton.
 
Complete Results
Singles (3, 6, 1, 4, 2, 5) 
1. Ashley Penshorn (StMU) def. Isabelle Bahr (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-2 
2. Marjorie Souza (UTRGV) def. Angela Vargas (StMU) 7-5, 6-2 
3. Lea Karren (UTRGV) def. Gabriella Ioannou (StMU) 6-0, 6-1 
4. Barbara Martinez (UTRGV) def. Kyndall Quiroz (StMU) 7-5, 6-2 
5. Kristyna Mamicova (UTRGV) def. Maria Elena Munoz Colin (StMU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 
6. Bailey Godwin (StMU) def. Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-1 
 
Doubles (1, 2, 3)  
1. Lea Karren/Barbara Martinez (UTRGV) def. Ashey Penshorn/Kyndall Quiroz (StMU) 6-0 
2. Isabelle Bahr/Marjorie Souza (UTRGV) def. Bailey Godwin/Angela Vargas (StMU) 6-4 
3. Gabriella Ioannou/Stela Sifuentes (StMU) def. Daniela Rosenberger/Yaiza Vazquez (UTRGV) 7-6 (7-5) 

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