CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Irene Artigas went undefeated in singles play and two doubles teams posted impressive runs over the weekend as Jacksonville State women's tennis opened their Fall 2023 schedule at the UTC Fall Invite.
 
"All I can ask is that we go get a little better each day and that's exactly what we did all weekend," head coach Michael Helms said. "I learned a ton about our team and am pleased with the direction this group is going. Special thanks to UTC's Chap Camper for hosting us this weekend. He and his staff did an excellent job."
 
Artigas, a sophomore from Valencia, Spain, went 2-0 in one-on-one action, scoring a big win against Chattanooga's Margaret Manolache (6-2, 6-3) on Sunday to lead the Gamecocks to a hidden dual victory. The doubles teams of Zuzana Pavelekova and Ella Tuomela (6-1) and Polina Ramenskaja and Martina Zarza (6-3) helped Jax State to an early advantage against the Mocs, then singles wins by Artigas, Tuomela (6-4, 6-3), and Dariana Prato (6-1, 6-7 [5], 10-7) clinched the match result.
 
Along with Artigas' excellence in singles competition, the pairs of Pavelekova/Tuomela and Ramenskaja/Zarza were impressive as well in the Scenic City. Each team went 3-1 in Chattanooga versus doubles teams from Bellarmine, North Alabama, and UTC.
 
Jacksonville State faced a round-robin of doubles against teams from each participating school on Friday and they finished 3-3. On Saturday, Helms' squad suffered a hidden dual loss to North Alabama before bouncing back with a triumph over the host Mocs on Sunday.
 
The Gamecocks leave Calhoun County on Wednesday to travel to Baton Rouge, La., for this weekend's ITA Fall Regionals. There, the Red-and-White will face top notch competition in some of the best competitors from across the southeast. The event will run Oct. 5-9 at the LSU Tennis Complex.
 
 To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateWTEN) and Instagram (@JaxStateWTEN) accounts.