Flash Points:

• SFU Women's Tennis dropped a 6-1 decision against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.
• The Red Flash, who snapped its four-match win streak, fell to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the NEC.
• Freshman Laura Gutierrez (Bogota, Colombia/Cibercolegio UCN) won a singles match at No. 2.
• SFU meets Duquesne on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Club in Pittsburgh.

GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Saint Francis Women's Tennis Team fell 6-1 against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at the Greensburg Racquet Club.  The Red Flash was swept in doubles action and won one singles match.  SFU suffered its first loss of conference play, falling to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the NEC.  The Knights improved to 5-5 overall and 1-0 in the NEC.  SFU snapped its four-match win streak that it entered today's match with.

"It was another hard-fought conference match today," said Head Coach Rob Castille. "A big thank you to everyone that came out today to support us. They definitely created a great home-court atmosphere and the players fed off their energy!"

Freshman Laura Gutierrez (Bogota, Colombia/Cibercolegio UCN) and sophomore Stephanie Miller (Washington, D.C./St. John's College High School) met FDU's Shreya Pasricha and Marta Ruszczynska at the top doubles spot.  The Red Flash duo fell 6-3.
 
At No. 2, sophomore Raksha Bode (Reunion, Fla./Florida Virtual School) and freshman Lucia Seigford (Madrid, Spain/Mirasur) competed against Fairleigh Dickinson's Patriciu and Tatiana Eftenoiu.  The SFU pair dropped a 6-4 decision.
 
Fairleigh Dickinson won the match at No. 3 by default due to no SFU player available.

"I thought we had ore than enough chances to win both of our doubles matches," said Castille. "But we just couldn't convert and be decisive enough in the big moments."
 
Gutierrez took on the Knights' Tatiana Eftenoiu at No. 2 singles.  The Red Flash rookie dropped the first set, 6-4, but responded by winning the next set, 6-2.  In the deciding set, Gutierrez came out on top, 6-2.  She picked up her seventh win of the Spring and improved to 5-3 at No. 2.
 
In the match at No. 1, Seigford faced Fairleigh Dickinson's Pasricha.  The SFU freshman fell 6-1, 6-3 and is now 8-8 in dual matches.
 
At No. 3, Miller met FDU's Ruszczynska.  The Saint Francis sophomore dropped the first set, 6-3.  Miller took the next set, 6-1, but Ruszczynska won the third set, 6-3.  Miller is now 10-6 this Spring.
 
Bode competed against the Knights' Liza Rachenko at No. 4.  The SFU sophomore fell 6-4 in the first set, but bounced back to win the second set, 6-1.  In a tight super-tiebreaker third set, Bode fell 11-9.  She now owns a 9-7 mark in dual matches.
 
Freshman Kathryn Dunleavy (Farmington Hills, Mich./Mercy) matched up at No. 5 against FDU's Patricia Eftenoiu.  The Red Flash rookie dropped a 7-5, 6-2 result and is now 9-7 this season.
 
The Knights won the match at No. 6 by default due to no SFU player available.

"We played great singles on four of the five courts and we were in position to win on almost all of those courts," said Castille. "If we can get all five of our girls to show up and compete hard, I think we can be tough to play against. We will look to take another step towards that tomorrow."
 
The Red Flash takes on Duquesne on Sunday.  The match begins at 1 p.m. at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Club in Pittsburgh.
 
Doubles:
1. Pasricha/Ruszczynska(FDU) def. Gutierrez/Miller(SFU), 6-3
2. Eftenoiu/Eftenoiu(FDU) def. Bode/Seigford(SFU), 6-4
3. Helm/Rachenko(FDU) win by default (No SFU Player)
Order of Finish: 3,1,2
 
Singles:
1. Pasricha(FDU) def. Seigford(SFU), 6-1, 6-3
2. Gutierrez(SFU) def. T. Eftenoiu(FDU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. Ruszczynska(FDU) def. Miller(SFU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
4. Rachenko(FDU) def. Bode(SFU), 6-4, 1-6, 11-9
5. P. Eftenoiu(FDU) def. Dunleavy(SFU), 7-5, 6-2
6. Helm(FDU) wins by default (No SFU Player)
Order of Finish: 6,1,3,2,4,5