EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Jacksonville State women's tennis team swept its opening weekend in Ohio Valley play with a 6-1 win at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Saturday afternoon.
 
The Gamecocks' (9-2, 2-0 OVC) third straight win began with winning the doubles point and taking five of the six singles points over the Cougars (5-8, 0-1 OVC) at the SIUE Tennis Courts.
 
Cristina Moll Alles and Alessia Locati earned a quick 6-0 victory at No. 3 doubles, while Malin Buechner and Alba Conejero secured the first point of the day with a 6-3 doubles win at No. 1. Harriet Hamilton and Elena Tendero's doubles match went unfinished as the team moved straight to singles play following the point.
 
The freshman Hamilton earned the first conference win of her career with a nail-biting three-set victory over Alina Munteanu at No. 1. Hamilton took the first set 6-1 and Munteanu earned the second-set win 6-2 to force a third frame. Hamilton outlasted the SIUE ace through 16 points, taking the set 10-6 for the hard-fought point.
 
Buechner, Conejero, Tendero and Moll Alles each took their games in just two sets. None of the four Gamecocks allowed their opponents to score more than three points in a single set. Conejero allowed a match-low one point in two sets to the Cougars' No. 4 Raillane Kamdem.
 
Lara Tupper won SIUE's lone point of the match with a two-set win over Locati at No. 2. Locati dropped the first set 7-5 before falling 6-0 in the second.
 
The JSU women are 2-0 to begin OVC play for the first time since 2013.
 
The Gamecocks next return to the JSU Tennis Courts Friday, March 29 to host Austin Peay. Doubles action against the Govs begins at noon.
 
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