BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Feb. 5, 2012) – In a fitting prelude to the evening's Super Bowl, the Saint Francis University women's tennis team captured a thrilling, 4-3, win over home-standing Lehigh at Lewis Tennis Center on Sunday.

After playing neck-and-neck with the Mountain Hawks for the entire match, SFU freshman Alex Sachs (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) pulled out the decisive no. 6 singles win with a pair of 6-2 scores.

“This is was huge win for the women,” said Flash head coach Paul Tobin, who picked up one of the signature wins of his career in Loretto.  “Everything came together after picking up the doubles point.”

Saint Francis improves to 1-4 on the season, while Leigh falls to 0-3.

“Lehigh is tough,” said Tobin.  “Coach Shook does a great job recruiting and finding good talent. Our women came out strong and it showed by the tough scores.”

The Saint Francis duo of Sach and Lucy Jasso (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Instituto Potosino) got things rolling with a 9-8 (5) win to open doubles play and Devynn Sarver (Mt. Clemens, Mich./Fraser) and Laura Husband (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville Area) followed suite at no. 3 double to claim the match's first critical point.

The Mountain Hawks rebounded to take the first two singles matched and gain their first lead of the afternoon but SFU freshman Shivani Patel (Leicestershire, England/Repton School) put an end to the Lehigh streak with a big win at the no. 3 spot.

Jasso successfully staked the Flash to a, 3-2, advantage in the very next match, but the Mountain Hawks took the no. 4 position setting up Sachs' heroics.

“In singles, Lucy and Alex came through with the wins and gave themselves an very necessary boost in confidence,” opined Tobin.


Saint Francis U. 4, Lehigh 3

Doubles
1. Sachs/Jasso (SFU) def. Hampshire/Bilimoria (LU) 9-8 (5)
2. Farrell/Piscitelli (LU) def. Patel/Valls (SFU) 8-2
3. Sarver/Husband (SFU) def. Bruch/Sloand (LU) 8-6

Singles
1. Jenai Bilimoria (LU) def. Devynn Sarver (Mt. Clemens, Mich./Fraser) (SFU) 6-2, 6-0
2. Abby Farrell (LU) def. Nuria Valls (Durango, Mexico/Colegio Guadiana LaSalle) (SFU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Shivani Patel (Leicestershire, England/Repton School) (SFU) def. Liz Piscitelli (LU) 1-3, retired
4. Lucy Jasso (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Instituto Potosino) (SFU) def. Kathleen Larkin (LU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Gabby Drucker (LU) def. Laura Husband (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville Area) (SFU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Alex Sachs (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) (SFU) def. Molly Brooks (LU) 6-2, 6-2