MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama-Huntsville won all three doubles matches and then cruised to a 5-2 victory over West Alabama in the opening round of the Gulf South Conference Tennis Tournament Championships Thursday at Lagoon Park.
 
UAH (8-6) avenged a regular season loss to the Tigers to advance to Friday's semi-finals against top seeded West Florida. West Alabama exits the tournament on a four-match losing skid with a 16-7 record.
 
West Alabama's victories came in No. 4 singles where Christina Bettag defeated Maria Lawton (6-2, 6-0) and in No. 6 singles where Dasha Popova beat Lina Carvajal (6-0, 6-0).
 
The Lady Chargers earned hard-fought wins in the three doubles matches, winning by 8-6, 8-6 and 8-5 margins in No. 1 through 3, respectively.
 
Following are the complete results from Thursday's match:
 
Doubles
Marlean Gort/Aniek Remmerswaal (UAH) def. Stanzi Stuijt/Sandra Florez (UWA) 8-6
Katie Bryant/Jessica Groupierre (UAH) def. Christina Bettag/Shannon McEvoy (UWA) 8-6
Auda Rappaz/Lina Carvajal (UAH) def. Dasha Popova/Natalia Cardenas (UWA) 8-5
 
Singles
Gort (UAH) def. Stuijt (UWA) 6-3, 6-1
Cardenas (UWA) vs. Groupierre (UAH) DNF (6-3, 3-6, 0-0)
Florez (UWA) vs. Remmerswaal (UAH) DNF (6-0, 5-6)
Bettag (UWA) def. Maria Lawton (UAH) 6-2, 6-0
Rappaz (UAH) def. McEvoy (UWA) 6-2, 6-1
Popova (UWA) def. Carvajal (UAH) 6-0, 6-0