SPARKILL, NY – A picturesque sunny day was the setting for the St. Thomas Aquinas College women’s tennis team’s sixth consecutive victory on Tuesday, as they trounced Atlantic Region foe Kutztown University 7-0.  The win extends a program best 6-0 start and also matches the longest winning streak in program history.

            After a lackluster doubles performance that saw the Spartans eek out an advantage, STAC found their energy and started to push the advantage in singles.  Samanta Villegas Robles ’23 (Leon, Mexico) took a 6-0, 6-4 victory at second singles, shaking off dead legs to grind out the win.  Following Robles, Viktoriia Pavlovets ’23 (St. Petersburg, Russia) took a 6-2, 6-3 win in her first career match at the top slot to push the score to 3-0 in favor of the hosts.  At third singles, fellow sophomore Ayesha Burnett ’23 (Wellington, New Zealand) fed off Pavlovets’ energy and cranked it up another notch to gut out a 6-4, 6-2 triumph and clinch the match for the Spartans.  Burnett would showcase deft hands at the net for several volleys for winners.

            With the match decided, Eliza Mulder ’23 (Schoonhoven, Netherlands) would make it a 5-0 match score for the home team with a 6-1, 6-2 fourth singles win.  Fellow countryman Dauphine Donker ’24 (Amersfoort, Netherlands) would take a 8-0 win at sixth singles, while Flaminia Valci ’23 (Rome, Italy) made it a 7-0 sweep with an 8-3 win at fifth singles.

            Next up for the Spartans is an away match Wednesday at West Chester University, in West Chester, PA.  First serve is set for 2 PM, weather permitting.

T-5/- St. Thomas Aquinas College 7, Kutztown University 0

Doubles

1.     Karina Blas/Samanta Villegas Robles (STAC) def. Claudia Makarski/Catherine Maher (KU), 6-3

2.     Jemima Parkinson/Ayesha Burnett (STAC) def. Amanda Greboski/Jess Marks (KU), 6-2

3.     Viktoriia Pavlovets/Eliza Mulder (STAC) def. Jessika Klo/Brianna Wendling (KU), 6-1

Order of Finish:     2, 1*, 3

Singles

1.     Viktoriia Pavlovets (STAC) def. Claudia Makarski (KU) – 6-2, 6-3

2.     Samanta Villegas Robles (STAC) def. Amanda Grebosky – 6-0, 6-4

3.     Ayesha Burnett (STAC) def. Catherine Maher (KU) – 6-4, 6-2

4.     Eliza Mulder (STAC) def. Jess Marks (KU) – 6-1, 6-2

5.     Flaminia Valci (STAC) def. Sarah Lazarchak (KU) – 8-3

6.     Dauphine Donker (STAC) def. Elyssa Tomzyk (KU) – 8-0

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

T-5/- STAC – 6-0 (3-0 ECC)

KU – 4-5 (3-3 PSAC)