VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan College's women's tennis team opened their season with an annual powerhouse and ended up on the short side of the score at the Marlins' Everett Tennis Center.

Washington and Lee University's Generals, currently ranked No. 22 nationally, swept singles in straight sets and gave up only two points in three doubles flights.

Sophomore Mia Proctor (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) and rookie Marisa Cifuentes (Virginia Beach/Bayside) were the only Marlins to score points on Washingrton and Lee, which has won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship an incredible 23 times.  Proctor, played at the No. 1 flight, dropped a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Meghan Buell (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany), who is ranked No. 17 in the Atlantic South region and finished fourth at last year's national championship event. Cifuentes fell 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 to Claire Cahill (Austin Texas/Lake Travis), who was half of WLU's ITA Southeast Regional Doubles championship duo last year.

In doubles, sophomore Hannah Parent (Port Tobacco, Md./Henry E. Lackey) teamed with Proctor at the No. 1 spot. The dropped an 8-2 decision to Chelsea Mixson (Beaufort, S.C./Hilton Head Prep) and Buell, a duo ranked No. 10 in the region.

Virginia Wesleyan will compete again on Sunday, Feb. 23, hosting Bridgewater College in an ODAC match slated to begin at 2 p.m. at the Everett Tennis Center.

--AMDG--