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Kristyna Nepivodova clinched the 5-4 match victory with a win at No. 2 singles.
Kristyna Nepivodova clinched the 5-4 match victory with a win at No. 2 singles.
Posted: Sep 07, 2012

Nepivodova Singles Win Sends Firebirds Women's Tennis to Season-Opening Win at Roberts Wesleyan

Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY - The defending East Coast Conference champion University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team had all it could handle from conference newcomer Roberts Wesleyan, but the team's lone senior Kristyna Nepivodova came through for the decisive singles win to give the Firebirds a thrilling, 5-4 victory in their season-opener on Friday afternoon.

District of Columbia (1-0) had to play with a roster of just five, which meant that the Firebirds forfeited matches at No. 6 singles and third doubles. They managed to win first and second doubles and then pulled away with the victory with three singles wins at No. 1, 4 and 2.

Down 1-0 after a forfeit at No. 3 doubles, Nepivodova (Breznice, Czech Republic - Gymnasium pod Svatou Horou) and sophomore Biology major Maxime Duijst (Valkenswaard, Netherlands - Pleincollege Sint-Joris) teamed up for an 9-8 (5) victory at No. 1 doubles to even the score. Junior Electrical Engineering major Jessica Nunez (Guayaquil, Ecuador - American School of Guayaquil) and junior Psychology major Sofia Leon (Quito, Ecuador - Pensionado Universitario) gave District of Columbia a 2-1 advantage at the end of doubles play as they knocked off Maria Jimenez and Meg Kelly, 8-6 at No. 2 doubles.

With the score even at two-apiece after a Firebird forfeit at No. 6 singles, District of Columbia quickly pulled one singles win away from victory as Nunez defeated Tina Miller, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 and Leon earned a 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 4 over Camilla Linhart.

But the Redhawks came charging back with singles wins at No. 5 and No. 3 to force a 4-4 deadlock, and suddenly the match would come down to the No. 2 singles match between Nepivodova and Dina Obukhova. The senior captain and Economics major showed why she was voted First Team All-ECC last Fall as she grinded out a tough, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 win to send her team to the 5-4 victory.

The Firebirds are back in action tomorrow at ECC foe NYIT. The match begins at 12 p.m.