TYLER, Texas - Day one of the NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis National Championships got off to a strong start for Northwest, as three Lady Rangers won their respective first round singles matches on Saturday.

Competing in flight one, sophomore Holly Stewart started the morning with a strong 6-1, 6-0 victory against Katrina Neufeld of McHenry County College. The Pontotoc native will advance to face Catherine Goldman of Hillsborough Community College on Sunday at 8 A.M. Goldman had a first round bye.

Freshman Mattie Sanders picked up a nice 6-1, 6-2 victory against Julianne Legg (Coastal Alabama) in flight two singles' competition. The Hernando native advances in the main draw, facing Candy Wai (Tyler Junior College) tomorrow at 8 A.M. Wai also had a first round bye on Saturday.

In flight four, sophomore Grace Ann Wade took a 6-3, 6-2 win against Im Garba of Iowa Central. Wade will advance to face Molly Bennett of Jones College on Sunday at 9:15 A.M.

Three other Lady Rangers battled through singles competition, but were handed losses. Kendall Moody competed in flight three, but fell by a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Alla Antonyan of Lewis & Clark Community College. The Columbus native drops to the consolation bracket, where she will face Allyson English of Moraine Valley Community College at 2:30 P.M. on Sunday.

Freshman Allie Rawles also dropped a 6-0, 6-0 loss in flight five to Sara Ladino of Eastern Florida State. Rawles will compete in the consolation draw on Sunday at 2:30 P.M. against Riley Dunn of Sauk Valley Community College. 

Sophomore Raney Peacock battled close in her fight six matchup with Journey Barajas of Mesa Community College, but Barajas came away with the 6-4, 6-4 victory. Peacock drops to the consolation draw against an opponent yet to be determined.

Northwest was handed two losses in doubles competition, as the duo of Moody and Rawles fell to the Seward County duo of Polya Nikolova and Emma Petton, dropping a 6-1, 6-0 decision. The tandem will compete in the consolation draw of flight one, facing off against the USC-Sumter duo of Serena Alvarado and Maeva Chambon on Sunday at 3:30 P.M.

In flight two, the Northwest duo of Sanders and Wade fell 6-2, 6-1 to Alejandra Ramirez and Ana Isabela Serrano of Seward County. Sanders and Wade drop to the consolation flight and will face the Moraine Valley Community College tandem of English and Maya Morris.

Peacock and Stewart received a first-round bye in flight three, and will compete against the Copiah-Lincoln duo of Adyson Parks and Ann-Clark Van on Sunday at 1 P.M. Parks and Van also received a first-round bye.

All scoring updates can be found throughout the tournament by clicking here.