LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Playing their second conference matches of the season, the University of West Alabama tennis teams split with Alabama in Huntsville on Thursday as the women won easily 8-1 to improve to 6-4, and the men fell in a tight 5-4 contest to drop to 5-5 on the year.

The ladies set the tone for the match in doubles play as it swept all three matches, but each were closely contested. The duo of Natalia Cardenas and Emily Gerding won by an 8-5 score in the No. 1 doubles match, while Katy Shoptaugh and Dasha Popova paired up for a 9-8 victory, and Angy Cuellar and Courtney McDonald also won by the same 9-8 score.

The close action in doubles, however, was no indication of how play would be in the singles matches as four of UWA's five wins came in straight sets. Gerding had the easiest win at 6-1, 6-0 while Popova was strong in winning 6-2, 6-3. Winning by identical scores of 6-3, 64 were Cardenas and Shoptaugh, and Cuellar responded from dropping her first set to take the match with scores of 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

On the men's side, the Tigers secured one point in doubles action as Lucas Nunes and Luis Ruiz teamed up for an 8-5 victory. Clay Cooke had the most impressive performance in singles as he won 6-1, 6-2 while Ruiz also won in straight sets by scores of 6-4, 7-5. The Tigers also received a nice win from Juan Felipe Tellez who bounced back to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.