HAYS, Kan. - The Newman women's tennis team improved to 2-1 on the season with a 5-4 win over Fort Hays State Saturday afternoon at the FHSU tennis courts in Hays, Kan. Laryssa Ferreira remained perfect in dual match play in the Jets' win.

The doubles competition proved the be the difference in the match as the Jets swept the Tigers, and took a 3-0 edge into singles play. Ferreira teamed with Christa Lawlor to defeat FHSU's No. 1 doubles team of Laura Johnston and Melissa Skovira, 8-3. The No. 2 doubles court went to Gabriela Balarin and Emily Gerber, who knocked off FHSU's Kelsey Bigando and Kirsta Lindsey, 8-5, while Newman's Megan Lowe and Emily Jones survived a scare against the Tigers' Kayla Jarvis and Brianna Watkins for the 9-7 win at No. 3.

Needing just two wins in singles play to clinch the match, Newman turned to its one-two punch of Ferreira and Balarin, and both came through for the Jets. Ferreira earned a straight-set sweep of Johnson, 6-0, 6-0, while Balarin held off Skovira for a 6-2, 7-5 win on the No. 2 court to secure the dual win for the Jets.

The hosting Tigers took the remaining singles matches. Bigando defeated Lowe at No. 3, 6-0, 6-1, while Lindsey downed Gerber in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 10-7. Jarvis won the No. 5 singles match for FHSU with a three-set, 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 win over Dunham, and Watkins defeated Jones on the No. 6 court, 7-6 (3), 6-3.

With the win, the Jets improve to 2-1 in 2009-10 dual match play, and will be off until Feb. 26 when they travel to Plano, Texas for the Collin County Classic.