ORLANDO, Fla. -- Another beautiful sunny day in Orlando brought two 5-2 victories for the Bruins, picking up their first two wins of their spring break trip. 

How It Happened

Game 1
George Fox took down Centre College in their first game of the day, winning 5-2 after several close matches. The Colonels put up a great fight in the doubles matches, but the Bruins proved to be too much for them, taking the doubles point 2-1. Sophie Denham and Cassey Hitch finished their match first, winning their No. 3 doubles match 6-2. Riley Bobkiewicz and Shanah Denham paired up in the No. 1 spot, dropping their match 6-4 to set up the tiebreaking No. 2 match for the doubles point. Arianna Rader and Kalli Wiker came in clutch, winning in dramatic fashion 7(8) - 6(6) in a back-and-forth affair. 

The singles matches secured the victory for the Bruins as they won several close sets to put the Colonels away. Wiker won her first set 7-6 in the No. 2 spot before her opponent retired due to injury, giving the Bruins a quick 2-0 lead. The Colonels struck back after Hitch dropped her match 6-1, 6-4 in the No. 5 spot, but the Bruins closed out three matches in a row afterward to secure the victory. Shanah Denham won 6-1, 6-4 in the No. 3 spot, Juhree Kizziar won 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 in a three-set thriller in the six, and Sophie Denham closed out the victory with a 6-3, 3-6, 1(10) - 0(4) battle in the four. Bobkiewicz also played an intense match in the No. 1 spot, but ultimately fell 6-2, 7(10) - 6(8) as the Colonels nabbed a point at the end of the match. 

Game 2
After about an hour break, the Bruins jumped right back into action against Luther College. They had a very similar start to game one, winning their first doubles match, losing their second, and closing it out in a tight tiebreaker battle. 

Bobkiewicz and Wiker were paired together in the No. 1 doubles spot, playing together for the first time all break. The duo prevailed 6-4 in the quickest doubles match of the afternoon. Rader and Hitch dropped their match 6-4 in the No. 3 spot, setting up another No. 2 doubles thriller. The Denham sisters came in clutch with a 7(7) - 6(3) victory to give Fox their second doubles point of the day. 

The singles matches were also intense, as both teams had a chance to win down the stretch. Bobkiewicz kicked the matches off with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the No. 2 spot, giving the Bruins a necessary 2-0 lead. The Norse bounced right back, though, as Rader and Kizziar both dropped their matches 6-3, 6-3 and 7-5, 6-3 to even the score up at two apiece. Sophie Denham secured the third point 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 4 spot moments later, setting up the best two matches of the day to decide the victor. The Bruins just needed one to secure the victory, and they got it when Wiker closed out her match 6-7, 7-5, 10-4 in a highly competitive No. 1 singles match. Shanah Denham also got it done in multiple sets in a wild 6-0, 6-7, 1(10) - 0(4) victory to give the Bruins a 5-2 win. 

Coach's Thoughts
"It was a great day for the team," said Bruins head coach Rick Cruz. "The girls stepped up in the big moments and pulled out two tough team wins. In the first match, Juhree and Sophie did a great job of pulling out their third setters to give us the win. Playing Luther 45 minutes after Centre during the hottest day of the week was tough, but the team fought hard and won both 3 setters. I couldn't be more proud of the way the team competed today." 

What Happens Next
The team closes their trip to Florida tomorrow, March 25th at 9:00 AM PST against Union College.