TRUMBULL, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University women's tennis team secured the 6-1 victory versus Saint Francis on Friday. The Pioneers had home-court advantage to earn their fourth Northeast Conference win to remain one of the top teams in the league.
SHU improved to 5-4 overall and 4-1 in the NEC, while SFU dropped to 5-11 on the season and 2-3 in the conference.
The Red and White tallied the doubles point with No. 1 duo Ciara O'Toole and Katsiaryna Starastsenka defeating the Red Flash's Dominique Yeo and Anouk Ma-Ajong with a tiebreaking 7-5 victory, followed by Flavia Rambaldi and Lauren Santarsiero with a win at number two.
SHU had the team victory wrapped up before the Red Flash had their first point. Sacred Heart received a forfeit at number six then Starastsenka was a 6-2, 6-0 winner at number three. Rambaldi won a close first set then blanked Marie Discini, 7-5, 6-0 at number four.
The final matches of solo play were shocked full of grit on both sides of the net through three tough sets. At number one, Vitalina Golod lost the first set in a 4-7 tiebreaking decision but rallied the remaining two with a 6-1 and 10-6 victory. O'Toole rounded out the singles competition at number two with a 5-7 loss in the first but came out on top in a 6-0 and 10-8 win in the third-set tiebreaker to tally the last point.
Sacred Heart University 6, Saint Francis University 1
Doubles Competition
- Ciara O'Toole/Katsiaryna Starastsenka (SHU) def. Dominique Yeo/Anouk Ma-Ajong (SFU) 7-6 (5)
- Flavia Rambaldi/Lauren Santarsiero (SHU) def. Nagisa Miyake/Romina Cutipa (SFU) 7-5
- Vitalina Golod/Keira Tobia (SHU) def. No player/No player (SFU), by forfeit
Singles Competition
- Vitalina Golod (SHU) def. Dominique Yeo (SFU) 6-7 (4), 6-1, 10-6
- Ciara O'Toole (SHU) def. Anouk Ma-Ajong (SFU) 5-7, 6-0, 10-8
- Katsiaryna Starastsenka (SHU) def. Romina Cutipa (SFU) 6-2, 6-0
- Flavia Rambaldi (SHU) def. Marie Discini (SFU) 7-5, 6-0
- Nagisa Miyake (SFU) def. Lauren Santarsiero (SHU) 1-6, 6-0, 6-2
- Keira Tobia (SHU) def. No player (SFU), by forfeit
Match Notes:
Saint Francis University 5-11
Sacred Heart University 4-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (6, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2)
