With a key conference match looming, Northeastern needed an easy match to build some confidence.

It got just that on Monday with a 9-0 win over Gates at Northeastern High School.

Brett A. Clark (ENLARGE)

Staff Photo by Brett A. Clark Northeastern High School's Chelsey Weeks returns the ball during her match against Gates, Monday.

Brett A. Clark (ENLARGE)

Staff Photo by Brett A. Clark Northeastern High School's Jenna Wood returns the ball during her match against Gates, Monday.

"I told the girls, 'Don't use today as just a win, use it to work on your shots, moving around, running around forehands, hitting cross court, hitting angles and stuff,'" Northeastern coach April Rowe said.

The Lady Eagles were able to work on their skills because it was the first match of the young season that was not close. Northeastern dropped its first two matches of the season before winning the third, all by 5-4 margins.

Jenna Wood set the pace Monday with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles and the Lady Eagles were never threatened. Leanne Owens rolled 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 and Leigh Ann Pfieffer beat her opponent 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6. The closest single match came at No. 3, but Chelsey Weeks still won handily, 6-3, 6-2.

Caitlin Godfrey and Jayme Wood won their matches by identical 6-1, 6-2 scores and Northeastern clinched the match after singles play.

Owens and Weeks won their doubles match 10-0, while Wood and Godfrey won 10-6 and Pfieffer teamed with Sarah Foreman at No. 3 to win 10-5.

"I'm going to use today's match and I'm going to use tomorrow's match (against Hertford) as practice matches to get ready for Edenton," Rowe said. "That's going to be our biggest challenge of the season."

Northeastern (2-2) hosts Hertford today, then travels to NCC power Edenton on Thursday.

"(Today is) another win under their belts to get their brains ready," Rowe said. "It's two in a row. Tomorrow I'm predicting three in a row and I told them I want nothing but wins this week. I'm hoping they'll be ready for Edenton."