VALDOSTA, Ga. – The University of West Alabama tennis teams competed against Georgia Southwestern and Valdosta State on Friday and essentially came away with a split. The men knocked off GSW 5-4 before falling 9-0 to the second-ranked Blazers while the women fell to the Lady 'Canes 5-4 before defeating VSU by the same score.

With the decisions, both squads even their records at 2-2 on the season.

In the big win against Valdosta State – the defending Gulf South Conference champions – the Tigers were the beneficiary of two points earned via VSU forfeits while Angy Cuellar, Katy Shoptaugh and Dasha Popova all earned victories in singles play. Cuellar played in the most contested match, winning by scores of 6-4, 7-5, and it was Popova's 6-1, 6-3 victory that sealed the contest for the Red and White.

Popova was the only Tiger to win both of her singles matches on the day as she was also a 6-4, 0-6, 10-7 winner in the early contest against Georgia Southwestern. She and Natalia Cardenas secured the only singles triumphs against the Lady 'Canes while the doubles pair of Shoptaugh and Emily Gerding was joined by the duo of Popova and Courtney McDonald in securing two doubles points in the loss.

On the men's side, Juan Felipe Telez and Lucas Cruz secured a point in doubles play with a 9-7 victory before the Tigers dominated in singles play, taking four of the six points from Georgia Southwestern. Santiago Lopez, Telez, Luis Ruiz and Wade Covington all picked up victories. Lopez and Telez both won by 7-5 scores in their first set, but other than that UWA's wins came in fairly comfortable fashion.

The Tigers will return to action on Saturday when they take on North Georgia on the road at noon CST.