If at first you don’t succeed — try, try, try again.

After suffering a hard-fought, 5-2, loss to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Kansas women’s tennis team made winning look oh-so-easy with a sweep of the University of St. Louis Billikens, 7-0, yesterday at First Serve in Lawrence.

“I was really proud with the girls, the way they came back and they just competed,” coach Amy Hall-Holt said.

Junior Edina Horvath led the Jayhawk attack, winning both her singles and doubles matches on the day.

“I feel awesome being on court,” Horvath said. “Everything is working right now, doubles and singles, and I think I’m in good shape, so it just works right now.”

Horvath, who was perfect against Arkansas and Tulsa one weekend ago, was undefeated in her last eight matches.

Hall-Holt agreed with Horvath’s self-analysis and echoed the idea that Horvath may be playing the best tennis of her college career.

“Her intensity level has increased, her motivation to keep doing well for the team,” Hall-Holt said. “Everybody wants to step out there and fight for the team and Edina’s been a trooper. She has just been a great team player, and she’s really stepping up, and I’m really proud of her for what she’s accomplished.”

Horvath claimed the lone Kansas singles victory versus Illinois and brought home one of two doubles wins for the Jayhawks, with the help of partner Elizaveta Avdeeva. Horvath and Avdeeva defeated Illinois’ team of Megan Fudge and Leigh Finnegan 8-4 and the Billiken duo of Amanda Hellberg and Cassey Miller 8-2, to improve their record to 6-1 this spring.

“It just works with Liza,” Horvath said. “We communicate really good on the court, and actually I think it helps that we are really good friends outside from the court.”

The only other Jayhawk victory versus Illinois was a 9-7 triumph by senior Lauren Hommell and freshman Magdalena Tokarczyk against the Fighting Illini’s Joe Becker and Tara Grant.

The sweep of St. Louis, which included wins in all six singles matches and all three doubles, lifted the Jayhawks dual match record to 1-3 on the season.

“Every match, every win helps, and that’s what we base our practices on is being competitive with each other,” Hall-Holt said. “Because it’s just going to keep bettering not only you, but your teammates as well.”

The next action for the women’s tennis team will be 11 a.m. Saturday at First Serve in Lawrence against the UMKC Kangaroos.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird