SAN FRANCISCO – The Fresno Pacific women's tennis team picked up a huge win on Saturday, defeating 19th-ranked Academy of Art 6-1 on the road. The Sunbirds improve to 3-0 on the young season, including a pair of wins against PacWest Conference opponents. 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 

• Final: Fresno Pacific 6, #19 Academy of Art 1
• Records: FPU (3-0), ARTU (1-1)
• Location: Bay Club SF | San Francisco   

 
QUOTABLE:  

• "Our team has worked to build trust with one another, then trained and competed together, and today, we got to celebrate together. Winning against a nationally-ranked opponent doesn't come easy. but we were unified and showed up with Sunbird spirit. Our girls played without pressure and just enjoyed the competition and the day. Our team showed their attitude, character, and effort today, and I'm beyond proud of the way this weekend turned out for us." – head coach Priscilla Jensen

                
HOW IT HAPPENED:  

• Mariia Borodii and Alice Di Matteo got the momentum going early, closing out Julia Ortega and Ella Lynn-Browne 6-1 in the second doubles flight.
• ARTU's duo of Maria Andrisani and Sofia Ragona took the top doubles flight over FPU's Lea Falentin and Ioanna Lathouri by a final of 6-3, setting up a key third flight. 
• Sanne Brull and Alice Marques picked up a 7-6 victory with a 7-3 tiebreaker over Aitana Comas Adam and Maria Casucci, and FPU headed to singles with a 1-0 lead.
• Lathouri won the third singles flight 6-3, 6-0 to push FPU a point closer, and Falentin followed with a 7-6, 6-3 victory in the second.
• Di Matteo was forced to three sets but picked up a 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 win to give the Sunbirds their fourth and clinching point of the day.
• Lynn-Browne defeated Marques 6-2, 7-5 to give the Urban Knights their lone point of the day from the fifth flight, but Brull (6-1, 7-5) and Borodii (6-2, 5-7, 10-6) closed out with wins in the sixth and top flight respectively.  

 
BEYOND THE BOX:   

• The loss is just the second for the Urban Knights at their home facility since the start of the 2017 season.
• For FPU, Saturday marked the first win over a nationally-ranked opponent with head coach Priscilla Jensen at the helm.
• The Blue and Orange went 2-1 in the Bay Area in 2019 but have already picked up two wins there this spring.

 
SOCIAL:

• Twitter - @fpusunbirds
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUathletics

 
UP NEXT   

• FPU is set to host Biola in the lone match of the week next Saturday at Haak Tennis Complex. Doubles action is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.