ELSAH, ILL. – MBU women's tennis went on the road and defeated Principia College (Ill.) 7-2 on Saturday afternoon in their first match of the spring season.
 
In the doubles competition, the Spartans took two of the three matches. Francielly Morena da Silva paired with Hannah Chaney for an 8-5 victory and Rafaela Davide and Emily Brown were dominant at the No. 3 doubles spot in an 8-1 rout.
 
On the singles side, Maria Brandt pulled earned the Spartans' first point with a 6-1, 6-1 win. Dani Stevenson battled hard at No. 3 for a 7-5, 6-4 victory. The clinching point then came at the No. 4 spot. Hannah Chaney delivered a clutch 6-4, 6-1 win to secure the win for MBU. Rafaela Davide and Emily Brown rounded it out with convincing 6-0, 6-0 victories in their respective matches.
 
"Great match to start the year," noted Head Coach Cole Stevenson. "I thought Hannah Chaney, specifically, did a really good job of setting the tone in both the singles and the double and also off the court."
 
The Spartans will now have about three weeks off before their next match. They'll travel to Florida in mid-March for three matches with some of the top programs in the state, beginning with Keiser University on March 11.