Norfolk, Virginia (April 20, 2018) – The FIU women's tennis team (15-2), won its fifth-straight match, blanking the Charlotte 49ers, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championships on Friday, April 20.
 
With this victory, the Panthers, who are currently ranked No. 37 in the latest Oracle/ITA women's tennis national rankings, recorded their seventh shutout of the season and advanced to the Conference USA Semifinals. 
 
FIU jumped out to a 1-0 lead following doubles action. The duo of Maryna Veksler and Ulyana Grib, currently ranked at No. 26 in the Oracle/ITA national doubles rankings defeated Charlotte's Tai Martin and Alexandra Lee, 6-. Nerma Caluk and Andrea Lazaro won against the 49ers' Pierina Imparato and Zoe Radojicic, 6-2.
 
Mina Markovic, gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Radojicic in singles action. Lazaro, ranked at No. 9 in the latest Oracle/ITA national singles rankings won her 24^thmatch of the season with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Martin to give FIU a 3-0 edge. Grib clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Charlotte's Emma Scott. The victory gave the Panther her 17^thsingles win of the season and her 11^th of the spring, following Lazaro at 12 wins. 
 
"It is always hard to play the first match especially when the weather conditions are not the best. We managed to win" said senior Lazaro. "Now we have to get ready for the upcoming matches and fight. If we keep ourselves motivated, we have a good chance of winning."

The Panthers will next face the winner of Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee on Saturday, April 21. First serve is set for 12 p.m.
 
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