PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Pikeville women's tennis team opened the season on the winning side, blanking visiting Union 9-0 on Sunday at the Bob Amos Complex.

Travelling with just five players, Union started the match already trailing 2-0 after forfeits at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

Needing just three wins to seal the match, UPIKE got two of them in a hurry in doubles. Macarena Acuna and Mounia Sami won 8-4 at the top seed against Ellen Denham and Summer Manning, while Cailee Marcum and Haley Justice combined to top Aline Dalmedico and Erika Broady 8-6 at No. 2.

Top-seeded Acuna tallied the deciding fifth win with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Manning. The teams finished out the rest of the matches with the Bears staying perfect in all four of them.

Sami topped Denham 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2, Bezerra won 6-3, 6-1 against Broady at No. 3, Justice got past Dalmedico 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 and fifth-seeded Marcum won against Claire Kilmartin at No. 6 to complete the shutout.

Up Next

UPIKE travels to St. Catharine for the Mid-South Conference opener at 12 p.m. ET on March 7.

Singles

1. Macarena Acuna (UPIKE) def. Summer Manning (UC) 6-2, 6-1

2. Mounia Sami (UPIKE) def. Ellen Denham (UC) 6-2, 6-1

3. Thais Bezerra (UPIKE) def. Erika Broady (UC) 6-3, 6-1

4. Haley Justice (UPIKE) def. Aline Dalmedico (UC) 6-2, 6-0

5. Cailee Marcum (UPIKE) def. Claire Kilmartin (UC) 6-4, 6-1

6. Bryanna Schroers (UPIKE) def. Forfeit (UC)

Doubles

1. Macarena Acuna/Mounia Sami (UPIKE) def. Ellen Denham/Summer Manning (UC) 8-4

2. Cailee Marcum/Haley Justice (UPIKE) def. Aline Dalmedico/Erika Broady (UC) 8-6

3. Thais Bezerra/Bryanna Schroers (UPIKE) def. Forfeit (UC)

Match Notes

UPIKE 1-0

Union 0-5

-UPIKE-