West Lafayette, Ind. ? The 19th-ranked Kentucky women?s tennis team snapped a three-match losing streak by defeating No. 57 Rice in convincing fashion 5-2 Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind. The Cats improved to 6-3 on the season and will return to Purdue?s Varsity Courts on Sunday to tangle with the 40th-ranked Boilermakers.

Kentucky jumped out on top of the Owls early by clinching the doubles point with victories in all three matches. In the No. 1 spot, the 18th-ranked duo of juniors Kim Coventry and Joelle Schwenk handled Rice?s Blair DiSesa and Alanna Rodgers by an 8-1 score. The team of junior Lara Maurer and freshman Carolina Escamilla followed by beating Kimberly Patenaude and Medeja Egic 8-6 in the No. 2 spot. Finishing off the doubles sweep was the team of freshman Jessica Giuggioli and junior Caroline Winebrenner. The UK duo breezed past the Owls?s Tiffany Lee and Christine Dao 8-1.

UK then went on to clinch its sixth victory by winning its first three singles matches. Playing at the No. 1 spot, the 53rd-ranked Coventry won her third straight match against a ranked opponent when she defeated 31st-ranked Blair DiSesa in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. At the No. 2 spot in the lineup, Schwenk also won in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, over the Owls? Christine Dao. Maurer, playing in the No. 3 spot, clinched the match for Kentucky by sweeping Alanna Rodgers 6-4, 7-5.

Escamilla and junior Liis Sober each notched victories to round out Kentucky?s day. Escamilla defeated Rice?s Lee 6-3, 7-5, while Sober picked up her first victory of the dual match season by sweeping the Owls? Emily Braid 6-2, 6-2.

“I feel that this was a really good match,? head coach Carlos Drada said. ?We played with a lot of discipline and attention to our strategies. It is only through this attention to details that our team will continue to take the necessary steps to reach a successful season.”

Sunday?s match against Purdue (3-2) is slated to begin at noon EST. Fans can check ukathletics.com for a complete recap of the day?s action.

Final Score -UK 5, Rice 2

Doubles

#1. Coventry/Schwenk (UK) def. Blair DiSesa/Alanna Rodgers (Rice)– 8-1
#2. Maurer/Escamilla (UK) def. Kimberly Patenaude/Medeja Egic (Rice)– 8-6
#3. Winebrenner/Giuggioli (UK) def. Tiffany Lee & Christine Dao (Rice) — 8-1

Singles

#1. Kim Coventry (UK) def. Blair DiSesa (Rice)– 6-1, 6-3.
#2. Joelle Schwenk (UK) def. Christine Dao (Rice)–6-3, 6-1
#3. Lara Maurer (UK) def. Alanna Rodgers (Rice) — 6-4, 7-5 (Clinching match)
#4. Carolina Escamilla (UK) def. Tiffany Lee (Rice)–6-3, 7-5
#5 Medeja Egic (Rice) def Jessica Giuggioli (UK)– 7-5, 6-0
#6. Kimberley Patenaude (Rice) def. Caroline Winebrenner (UK) — 6-3, 6-3
#7. Liis Sober (UK) def. Emily Braid (Rice) –6-2, 6-2