District of Columbia Women's Tennis Fires Home Another Victory, Defeating STAC, 7-2

WASHINGTON, DC - The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team had no trouble earning a 7-2 win against East Coast Conference opponent St. Thomas Aquinas College on Friday morning.

The Firebirds won all of their matches in convincing fashion except for two matches that they had to forfeit due to an insufficient lineup.  The win lifted the Firebirds to 3-1 on the season, and 2-1 in ECC play.  The St. Thomas Aquinas women's tennis team fell to 1-2 on the season.

The Firebirds were able to earn a 2-1 advantage after doubles play, despite having to forfeit the No. 3 doubles match.  Junior Jessica Nunez (Electrical Engineering – Guayaquil, Ecuador/American School of Guayaquil) and junior Sofia Leon (Psychology – Quito, Ecuador/Pensionado Universitario) were able to earn an 8-0 victory in the second doubles match.  Likewise, junior Kristyna Nepivodova (Economics – Breznice, Czech Republic/Gymnasium pod Svatou Horou) and sophomore Maxime Duijst (Biology – Valkenswaard, Netherlands/Pleincollege Sint-Joris) won the final doubles match 8-0.

After St. Thomas Aquinas was able to even the match score at 2-2 due to a forfeit of the No. 6 singles match, the Firebirds dominated the rest of the day.  Senior Tadai Abilla (TV Production – Galloway, NJ/Absegami HS) picked up the first singles win with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Jill Duke in the No. 5 singles match.  Nepivodova followed suit with a 6-0, 6-0 win over opponent Sam Vinci.  With a 4-2 lead over St. Thomas Aquinas, Leon clinched the victory for the Firebirds in the No. 4 singles game with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Faye Foreman. 

With the match already decided, Duijst continued the singles trend with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Erin Maher in the No. 3 singles match.  Nunez, the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, closed the match out with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Anna Simunovic.

District of Columbia will travel to play ECC opponent Queens (N.Y.) on Sunday, September 16^th, at 2:00 pm. The Knights are the pre-season favorite to win the conference, as voted on by the league's head coaches back in August.

UDC – 7, St. Thomas Aquinas – 2

Doubles

1. Nepivodova/Duijst def. Vinci/Zugibe (STAC) 8-0 

2. Nunez/Leon def. Maher/Forman (STAC) 8-0 

3. Simunovic/Duke (STAC) def. insufficient UDC lineup

Singles

1. Jessica Nunez def. Anna Simunovic (STAC) 6-0, 6-0 

2. Kristyna Nepivodova def. Sam Vinci (STAC) 6-0, 6-0 

3. Maxime Duijst def. Erin Maher (STAC) 6-0, 6-0 

4. Sofia Leon def. Faye Forman (STAC) 6-0, 6-0 

5. Tadai Abilla def. Jill Duke (STAC) 6-0, 6-0 

6. Candice Zugibe (STAC) def. insufficient UDC lineup

UDC – 7

STAC – 2

Order of Completion

Doubles: 3, 2, 1

Singles: 6 ,5, 2, 4, 3, 1

Season Record (W-L): 3 – 1, ECC: 2 – 1