Flash Points:

• SFU women's tennis earned its first win of the spring with a 5-2 victory at Howard on Saturday.
• The Red Flash won the doubles point and five singles matches.
• SFU meets Navy on Sunday at 8 a.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Saint Francis women's tennis team picked up its first win of the spring with a 5-2 victory at Howard on Saturday.  The Red Flash won the doubles point and five singles matches to improve to 1-2 this spring.  Howard made its spring debut on Saturday.
 
"It's great for the girls to get their first win of the season," said Head Coach Rob Castille. "Being down a player is always challenging, but everyone stepped up today and we were able to come away with the W."
 
At the top doubles spot, freshmen Laura Gutierrez (Bogota, Colombia/Cibercolegio UCN) and Lucia Seigford (Madrid, Spain/Mirasur) combined for a 6-3 win against Howard's Nichole Hutchinson and Jessica Josiah.  The Red Flash duo improved to 3-3 overall.
 
Sophomores Raksha Bode (Reunion, Fla./Florida Virtual School) and Stephanie Miller (Washington, D.C./St. John's College High School) paired up at No. 2 for a dominant 6-0 victory over the Bison's Christina Joynes and Kindha Nasef.  The SFU pair moved to 2-1 this spring.
 
The Bison won the match at No. 3 by default due to no SFU player available.
 
"Getting the doubles point was huge as we were able to go into singles with the match tied up," said Castille. "The team carried that momentum into singles and won four of the five matches played."
 
Seigford met HU's Hutchinson at the No. 2 singles position.  The Red Flash rookie took the first set, 6-0, but dropped the second set, 6-1.  She bounced back to win the deciding set, 6-1, for her first win of the spring.
 
At No. 3, Bode competed against Howard's Nasef.  The SFU sophomore claimed the opening set, 6-3.  Nasef responded by winning the next set, 6-4.  In the final set, Bode came out on top, 6-1.  She is now 2-1 this spring. 
 
Miller faced the Bison's Sajela Harlow at the No. 4 position.  The Saint Francis sophomore earned a 6-3 win in the first set.  She dominated the second set, 6-0, for a straight-set victory.  Miller moved to 2-1 this spring.
 
In the match at No. 5, freshman Kathryn Dunleavy (Farmington Hills, Mich./Mercy) took on Howard's Joynes.  The SFU freshman won the first set, 6-2.  She clinched a sweep with a 6-1 victory in the next set.  Dunleavy earned her first win of the spring.
 
At No. 1, Gutierrez competed against Josiah.  However, Gutierrez fell 6-4, 6-3.
 
The Bison won the match at No. 6 by default due to no SFU player available.
 
"We'll get some rest tonight and prepare for a very strong and deep Navy team," said Castille.
 
The Red Flash travels to Annapolis, Md. on Sunday for an 8 a.m. match against Navy.  The Midshipmen are 2-1 after wins over St. Bonvanture (7-0) and Mount St. Mary's (6-1) on Saturday.
 
Doubles:
1. Gutierrez/Seigford(SFU) def. Hutchinson/Josiah(HU), 6-3.
2. Bode/Miller(SFU) def. Joynes/Nasef(HU), 6-0.
3. Boston/Harlow(HU) win by default (No SFU Player).
 
Singles:
1. Josiah(HU) def. Gutierrez(SFU), 6-4, 6-3.
2. Seigford(SFU) def. Hutchinson(HU), 6-0, 1-6, 6-1.
3. Bode(SFU) def. Nasef(HU), 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
4. Miller(SFU) def. Harlow(HU), 6-3, 6-0.
5. Dunleavy(SFU) def. Joynes(HU), 6-2, 6-1.
6. Boston(HU) wins by default (No SFU Player).