Photo by Des'rae Davis

SWEET BRIAR, Va.- Playing their first of three matches in as many days, the Sweet Briar College tennis team downed the visiting Salem College Spirits, 8-1, on Friday afternoon.

The day started with the Vixens sweeping doubles play to jump out in front with a 3-0 lead. Madi Mills and Megan Johnston cruised by Imani Brown and Priscilla Solis on court three, 8-0. Samantha Yew and Anna Colvin followed that up by getting past the Salem duo of Ashley Koehler and Allie Watkins, 8-4.

Court one doubles saw a closer match, but the pair of AJ Lukanuski and Gina Rutledge knocked off Andrea Akers and Deanna Wilkins, 8-6.

Senior Katie Craig got the Vixens off to a great start in singles, sweeping Solis, 6-0, 6-0, on court six. Johnston wouldn't be outdone as she easily got past Brown, 6-0, 6-0 on court five.

Despite Johnston's victory clinching the match for Sweet Briar, there was a lot of great tennis still being played. Rutledge made easy work of Koehler, wining 6-4, 6-2 on court two. Lukanuski and the Spirits's Andrea Akers played a close match on court one, but it was the Midlothian, Va. native Lukanuski that emerged victorius, 7-5, 6-4.

Yew finished off the match for the Vixens on court four by defeating Watkins. After dropping the first set, 1-6, the sophomore from The Bronx stormed back to win the match, 7-6, 1-0.

With the win, the Vixen tennis team has now won three-straight matches and moved their record to 5-5. They'll be right back in action tomorrow at William Peace University and at home against Trinity Washington University on Sunday.