The Barton County Community College women's tennis team opened up conference play on Tuesday in Liberal as the Lady Cougars were blanked 9-0 at No. 4 ranked Seward County Community College. The talented Lady Saints put the hammering on the Lady Cougars in most of the matches dropping Barton to 1-3 on the season while Seward County stays unbeaten at 14-0.
Opening the dual with doubles play, the Lady Saints dominated play winning twenty-four of the twenty-six games played. Barton's No. 1 doubles of Daniela Sanz and Idah Longwe were the lone tandem to win any games but lost their first match of the year falling 8-2 to the sister duo of Maminiaina Rakotondrazafy and Mialiniaina Rakotondrazafy.
Singles play didn't fare much better for Barton but were much more competitive in the matches. No. 6 ranked Sanz came up just short in her hard fought No. 1 singles match losing 6-5 and 7-5 to the Lady Saints Thalia Rodrigues. Longwe, who came into the day a perfect 7-0 on the early season, tangled in the match of the day at the No. 3 singles losing 3-6, 6-2, and 4-10 in the tiebreaker Maminiaina Rakotondrazafy.
Barton will stay in conference play for their next match heading to Hesston next Tuesday taking on No. 9 ranked Cowley College in a 10:30 a.m. first serve.