SPARKILL, NY – On Friday afternoon, the Lady Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College took ECC rival, and preseason conference favorite, NYIT down to the wire only to fall by a 6-3 margin.  The Spartans three points were first against the Bears, who finished last year ranked #1 in the East region, since an 8-1 loss during the 2011 season.  The points were also the most scored vs. the Bears since a 9-0 win back in 2010.

Katarina Lopez (New City, NY) and Carolyn Kopf (Garnerville, NY) teamed to win at third doubles with an 8-4 score for the first point of the day.  At second doubles, Lovisa Engstrand (Stockholm, Sweden) and Sara O’Brien (Orangeburg, NY) gave a valiant effort but ultimately fell 8-4.  

Down 2-1 heading in to singles action, the Lady Spartans mounted a furious comeback to push the Bears to the limit.  Lopez won at fourth singles, 6-1, 6-1, and came out of the match as the Spartans lone double winner.  Matched up with yet another ranked singles player, Engstrand lost the first set 6-1 before pushing her opponent to a second set tiebreak.  Cassandra Rohr (Mallorca, Spain) dropped her match at third singles 6-4, 6-3, but forced her opponent to play every shot she had in two straight 40-minute games during the second set.

O’Brien won at fifth singles with a 6-0, 6-0 score to round out the scoring for the Lady Spartans.  She and Lopez are now 3-0 to start the season in singles play.

Saturday will be the next match for St. Thomas Aquinas, as they host ECC for LIU Post.  First serve is set for 12:00 PM, weather permitting.

NYIT 6, STAC 3

Doubles

1.     Rosetti/Andric (NYIT) def. Kanefu/Rohr (STAC), 8-1

2.     Dimmer/Lopez (NYIT) def. Engstrand/O’Brien (STAC), 8-4

3.     Lopez/Kopf (STAC) def. Lacorte/Byrnes (NYIT), 8-4

Singles

1.     Rosetti (NYIT), def. Lovisa Engstrand (STAC), 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

2.     Dimmer (NYIT) def. Nyenyeri Kanefu (STAC), 6-0, 6-1

3.     Andric (NYIT) def. Cassandra Rohr (STAC), 6-4, 6-3

4.     Katarina Lopez (STAC) def. Lopez (NYIT), 6-1, 6-1

5.     Sara O’Brien (STAC) def. Lacorte (NYIT), 6-0, 6-0

6.     Byrnes (NYIT) def. Carolyn Kopf (STAC), 6-3, 6-0

Order of Finish:           Doubles  (1, 3, 2)        Singles  (2, 4, 1, 3*, 5, 6)