(BELLEVILLE, Ill, March 9)- The McKendree University women's tennis team swept the University of Illinois-Springfield on February 25th, 9-0.

The Bearcats improved to 2-0 overall and will host Northwestern Ohio University on Saturday, March 12 at noon in Belleville, Ill., at Kings Point Sports Club.

McKendree earned three narrow wins in doubles action. The team of Guiliana Gonzalez and Adriana Gonzalez (Lima, Peru/San Agustin) defeated Druvinka Moraes and Jane Brown at No. 1 doubles, 8-4. At No. 2 doubles, Emily Cimarolli (Belleville, Ill./Althoff) and Nathalia Oliveira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Bahiense) defeated Calire Connor and Brooke Tweedy, 8-5, and Erika Smith-Thomas (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) and Alexandria Peach (Wood River, Ill./Roxana) defeated Heather Niermann and Jessica Miller, 8-6.

In singles action, A. Gonzalez defeated Moraes, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 1 singles, and G. Gonzalez defeated Jane Brown at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-0. Oliveira earned a 6-0, 6-3, win at No. 3 singles over Brooke Tweedy and Cimarolli added a win at No. 4 singles over Connor, 7-5, 6-1. At No. 5 singles, Smith-Thomas defeated Niermann, 6-4, 6-1, and Peach closed out the victory with a win over Miller at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).