KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The SVSU women's tennis team scored a signature victory over nationally-ranked Palm Beach Atlantic Thursday, March 5 at the Oak Street tennis courts in Kissimmee, Fla.

In a very tightly contested match, the Cardinals won three singles matches in third set tiebreakers.  Freshman Shea Donahue captured the deciding point at no. 4 singles, defeating her opponent 7-6, 4-6, 12-10.  Sophomore Izabella Ismailova won her match at no. 1 singles 6-3, 1-6, 10-8, and freshman Abby Shonk prevailed at no. 6 singles, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.  

SVSU's other wins came at no. 5 singles where freshman Lauren Sharp won 6-2, 6-1, and at no. 2 doubles, where Sharp and senior Meghan Woody won 8-6.  Woody dropped her no. 2 singles match 6-7, 6-4, 10-6.

"I am extremely proud of how our team played," said head coach Jenn Boehm.  "We devote a lot of attention to the mental part of the game, and we needed mental toughness tonight. So many individual matches were in the balance until the very end, and we managed to win the majority of them. That made the difference."

"This is the first victory over a nationally ranked opponent that I can recall, going back to my days on the team.  I'm very happy for the players on our team. They earned this," Boehm said.

Boehm played for SVSU from 1999 to 2003.  Palm Beach Atlantic entered the match ranked no. 32 in the nation in NCAA Division II.

The match concludes SVSU's spring trip.  The Cardinals return to the court Saturday, March 21 at West Liberty in West Virginia.