LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese women's tennis team posted a dominating victory over the defending Southland Conference regular season champion Nicholls Tuesday afternoon with a 7-0 shutout win over the Colonels in Thibodaux.
 
With the win, McNeese improved to 9-4 on the year and remained perfect in league play with a 2-0 mark. The Colonels, who defeated the Cowgirls twice in 2015, dropped to 3-7 this season and 0-1 in SLC play.
 
With its No. 1 player sidelined due to an injury, Nicholls was able to play just five girls in the match, resulting in default victories for McNeese in the No. 6 singles spot and the No. 3 doubles position.
 
Starting the match with a 2-0 lead, the Cowgirls picked up the doubles point following Julia Kral and Charoline Erlandsson's third consecutive win as a combo in the No. 2 spot over the team of Clemence Krug and Isla Brock. Giovanna Fioretti and Sarah Jurakova's contest on Court 1 went unfinished.
 
In singles, freshman Sarah Jurakova clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Krug while freshman Hannah Brett picked up her 10th singles win of the year in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Brock in the No. 4 spot.
 
Erlandsson posted a two-set win over Nicholls' Laia Charles on Court 5 with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
 
In the No. 1 spot, freshman Giovanna Fioretti battled back from a 6-4 first set defeat and dominated Milou Pietersz 6-1, 6-2 and win the point for the Cowgirls. Fioretti is now 4-2 in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots this year.
 
Junior Julia Kral finished out the match on Court 2 in a three-set dual as she defeated Julia Melendez 6-4, 5-7, 10-7 to wrap up the shutout win over the Colonels.
 
The shutout was the second for McNeese this season after posting a 7-0 win over Prairie View A&M back on Feb. 7.
 
The Cowgirls will return home this weekend to begin a four-match homestand beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. with Sam Houston State and will follow with a Sunday dual against rival Lamar with first serve slated for a noon start.
 
McNeese State 7, Nicholls 0
3/1/2016 at Thiboduax, La. (Colonel Tennis Complex)
 
Singles competition
1. Giovanna Fioretti (MCN) def. Milou Pietersz (NICH) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Julia Kral (MCN) def. Julia Melendez (NICH) 6-4, 5-7, 10-7
3. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) def. Clemence Krug (NICH) 6-0, 6-3
4. Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Isla Brock (NICH) 6-4, 6-4
5. Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Laia Charles (NICH) 6-3, 7-5
6. No player (MCN) def. No player (NICH), by default
 
Doubles competition
1. Milou Pietersz/Julia Melendez (NICH) vs. Giovanna Fioretti/Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 5-3, unfinished
2. Julia Kral/Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Clemence Krug/Isla Brock (NICH) 6-4
3. No player/No player (MCN) def. No player/No player (NICH), by default
 
Match Notes
McNeese State 9-4, 2-0
Nicholls 3-7, 0-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2); Singles (3,4,5,1,2)