Posted: Mar 27, 2018

Aztecs women's tennis suffer first loss at Eastern Arizona College

Freshman Ashley Fitzsimmons was a bright spot for the Aztecs as she earned wins in doubles and singles. She helped doubles partner Jayme Shafer win 8-3 at No. 3 doubles. She won her singles match 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5 singles. Photo by Raymond Suarez

The Pima Community College women's tennis team (4-1) tasted defeat for the first this season on Tuesday at No. 18 Eastern Arizona College.

The No. 17 ranked Aztecs fell 6-3 in Thatcher. The Aztecs split the meetings with the Gila Monsters as they won 5-4 last month at the West Campus Tennis Courts.

The Aztecs dropped two of three doubles match-ups. The No. 3 doubles duo of freshman Ashley Fitzsimmons (Walden Grove HS) and sophomore Jayme Shafer (Tucson HS) defeated Ashlyn Trejo and Heidi Simons 8-3.

Freshman Meghan Houk (Corona del Sol HS) and sophomore Lien Nguyen lost in a tie-breaker to Polly Evans and Payton Cap 9-8 (7-5) at No. 2 doubles. Sophomore Emma Oropeza (Nogales HS) and Janine Fernando (Sabino HS) lost at No. 1 doubles to Juliette Mary and Clara Desbiolles 8-2.

The Aztecs picked up two wins in singles matches but it wasn't enough to take the win.

Fitzsimmons won her No. 5 singles match against Trejo 6-1, 6-4 while Shafer beat Simons at No. 6 singles 6-1, 6-0.

Houk fell in a tight match at No. 3 singles to Evans 6-4, 6-4. Oropeza lost to Mary at No. 1 singles 6-2, 6-2. Fernando fell to Desbiolles 6-0, 6-3 in their No. 2 singles match. Sophomore Elise

Rodriguez (Flowing Wells HS) dropped her No. 4 singles match to Cap 6-2, 6-3.

The Aztecs will be back on the road on Thursday when both the men's and women's tennis teams will play at Mesa Community College. The match will begin at 1:30 p.m.