MIDDLEBURY, CT – On the road for their second match in as many contests, the St. Thomas Aquinas College women’s tennis team fought hard against regional power Post University, but fell by the narrow margin of 5-4. Post, who finished last season as the 9th-ranked team in the East region, won the match clinching point at 6th singles.
Facing a 2-1 deficit heading into singles play, the Lady Spartans needed to come up with four points to win. Katarina Lopez (New City, NY) was the first to finish, winning at 5th singles in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. Junior Nyenyeri Kanefu (Rutherford, NJ) was the next point for STAC, as she went to a third set before her opponent withdrew. With the match at 4-3, senior Carolyn Kopf (Garnerville, NY) played a highly competitive match before dropping the sixth singles spot. Sara O’Brien (Orangeburg, NY) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Spartans, winning her match in a third set, super-tiebreaker, 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (5).
The Lady Spartans are next in action on Friday, September 15 vs. NYIT and Saturday, September 16.
Post 5, STAC 4
Doubles
1. Dubrovskaya/Miah (POST) def. Engstrand/O’Brien (STAC), 8-5
2. Kanefu/Rohr (STAC) def. Janson/Bergen (POST), 8-4
3. Seabra/Namazi (POST) def. Lopez/Kopf (STAC), 8-3
Singles
1. Liza Dubrovskaya (POST) def. Lovisa Engstrand (STAC), 6-0, 6-1
2. Annika Janson (POST) def. Cassandra Rohr (STAC), 6-3, 6-0
3. Nyenyeri Kanefu (STAC) def. Brianna Miah (POST), 6-3, 0-6, 0-1 ret.
4. Sara O’Brien (STAC) def. Juliana Seabra (POST), 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (5)
5. Katarina Lopez (STAC) def. Jessica Bergen (POST), 6-1, 6-0
6. Sarah Namazi (POST) def. Carolyn Kopf (STAC), 6-2, 7-5
Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2) Singles (5, 1, 2, 3, 6*, 4)