FLUSHING, NY – The St. Thomas Aquinas College women’s tennis team defeated Queens College 4-3 on Sunday, earning their first victory over the Knights in at least twenty matches.  The outcome looked bleak to start as the hosts breezed through doubles action to earn a 1-0 lead.  A win at first singles made it a 2-0 margin for Queens, who were looking to defeat the Spartans for the second day in a row.

            At fourth singles, Jemima Parkinson ‘24 (Gloucester, England) got the visitors on the board with a 6-4, 6-3 gutty win.  Viktoriia Pavlovets ’23 (St. Petersburg, Russia) would knot the score at 2-2 with a classic three set victory, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2.  Queens would win at third singles to regain the lead before sophomore Eliza Mulder ’23 (Schoonhoven, Netherlands) would tie it up at 3-3 with a 7-5, 6-3 win a fifth singles. 

            The final match of the day at sixth singles was an epic showdown.  Playing in her first career match against Queens, freshman Dauphine Donker ’24 (Amersfoort, Netherlands) dropped a tough opening set 6-4.  Blocking out the raucous atmosphere, she regained her footing to take the second set 6-3, setting the stage for a tightly contested third set which she took with an identical 6-3 score.

            Next up for the Spartans is a trip to Buffalo, NY where they will close out their regular season schedule on Tuesday at East Coast Conference opponent Daemen College hosted at the Williamsville South High School tennis courts.  First serve is set for noon, weather permitting.

T-5/UC St. Thomas Aquinas College 4, T-1/- Queens College 3

4/25/2021

Doubles

1.     Maja Makal/Lovisa Engstrand (QC) def. Karina Blas/Samanta Villegas Robles (STAC) - 6-1

2.     Nathalie Ulander/Lilly Schmidtt (QC) def. Jemima Parkinson/Viktoriia Pavlovets (STAC) – 6-2

3.     Gabby Sciarotta/Aleksandra Caricic (QC) def. Dauphine Donker/Flaminia Valci (STAC) – 6-4

Order of Finish:     1, 2*, 3

Singles

1.     Maja Makal (QC) def. Karina Blas (STAC) – 6-2, 6-2

2.     Viktoriia Pavlovets (STAC) def. Nathalie Ulander (QC) – 6-2, 0-6, 6-2

3.     Lovisa Engstrand (QC) def. Samanta Villegas Robles (STAC) – 6-4, 7-5

4.     Jemima Parkinson (STAC) def. Gabby Sciarotta (QC) – 6-4, 6-3

5.     Eliza Mulder (STAC) def. Aleksandra Caricic (QC) – 7-5, 6-3

6.     Dauphine Donker (STAC) def. Lilly Schmidtt (QC) – 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Order of Finish:     1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6*

T-5/UC STAC – 8-1 (4-1 ECC)

T-1/- QC – 1-1 (1-1 ECC)