UDC Women's Tennis Earns 5-2 Victory Over Roberts Wesleyan in Shortened Match

ROCHESTER, NY – The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team took four of six singles matches and earned one doubles win to come away victorious, 5-2 in a shortened East Coast Conference match Tuesday evening at Roberts Wesleyan.

The Firebirds, who had already clinched a spot in the ECC Championship Tournament, improved to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in league play. Roberts Wesleyan fell to 10-3 overall and 5-3 in the ECC.

With heavy winds and the temperature dropping, the two teams opted to play the singles matches first rather than the doubles. Junior Alicia Gallard (Business Management – Blaison-Gohier, France/Joachim Du Bellay) earned the first point of the day with a 6-3, 6-0 win at the No. 6 slot. Senior Jessica Nunez followed with a win at No. 1, 6-1, 6-2 over Tina Miller.

Roberts Wesleyan got on the board when Kaitlynn Zaffuto outlasted Sofia Leon (Psychology – Quito, Ecuador/Pensionado Universitario) in a highly-contested No. 5 match, 6-4, 1-6, 10-4. The Redhawks then evened the match, 2-2 when Fatima Ouattara handed Maxime Duijst (Biology – Valkenswaard, Netherlands/Pleincollege Sint-Joris) just her second loss in ECC play this season at the No. 3 spot, 6-1, 6-3.

The Firebirds would come out on top in the final two remaining singles matches as freshman Tamara Kenia (Graphic Design – Donetsk, Ukraine/Donetsk Lyceum College) grinded out a 6-1, 7-5 win over Maria Jimenez at No. 2, and sophomore Peerada Looareesuwan (Computer Science – Bangkok, Thailand/Demonstration School of Ramkhamhaeng University) defeated Camilla Linhart, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4.

With a 4-2 lead heading into doubles play, the Firebirds only had to win one doubles match to close out the team victory. Leon and Gallard did just that, defeating Linhart and Zaffuto, 8-3 at third doubles.

UDC will play its final regular season match at Daemen tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.