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Ike Kiro earned convincing wins at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles vs. Dickinson.
Ike Kiro earned convincing wins at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles vs. Dickinson.
Posted: Mar 20, 2014

Firebirds Storm Back to Beat Dickinson, 6-3

Box Score

WASHINGTON, DC – Down 3-2 in the team match scoring, the Firebirds came storming back to win the final four consecutive singles matches and claim a 6-3 victory over Dickinson on a beautiful Thursday afternoon in the nation's capital.

UDC ended its two-match losing streak as it improved to 3-3 overall with today's victory. Dickinson, a Division III school that competes in the Centennial Conference, fell to 2-4 overall.

With only five available players, UDC had to forfeit the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches. After forfeiting the No. 3 doubles match, the Firebirds were victorious in the top two doubles matches. Seniors Miguel Uzcategui (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) and Ike Kiro (Business Management – Milnerton Ridge, South Africa/NJIT) showed why they were First Team All-East Coast Conference last season as they defeated Ari Blask and Clark Chapman, 8-3 in the No. 1 doubles match. Junior Simon Andersson (Business Management – Ystad, Sweden/Sydskanska Gymnasiet) and senior Carlos Quiroga (Electrical Engineering – Valencia, Venezuela/Maria Montessori) followed with a decisive, 8-2 victory at No. 2 doubles.

The 2-1 lead at the end of doubles play quickly dissipated as the Firebirds forfeited the No. 6 singles match and freshman Drew Stewart (Information Technology – Fort Washington, MD/National Christian Academy) was defeated by Josh Kaseff, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

Uzcategui's 6-1, 6-1 No. 1 singles win over Blask helped the Firebirds get back on track, as Kiro followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Chapman at No. 2 singles to give UDC back the lead, 4-3. Andersson then clinched the match victory with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Steven Kaplan at No. 3 singles and Quiroga defeated John Kneisley, 7-5, 6-1 at No. 4 for good measure.

The Firebirds, picked 2nd in the ECC pre-season coaches' poll, will host ECC newcomer, Daemen tomorrow, Friday, March 21st at 1 p.m. The Wildcats are in their first year as a member of Division II, and they were picked to finish last in the conference.