Skobkina’s Clutch, Comeback Singles Win Lifts District of Columbia to 5-4 Victory at LIU Post
BROOKVILLE, NY – With the match tied, 4-4 and no one else left on the court, junior transfer Alena Skobkina stood toe-to-toe with Lucie Chrastecka at No. 2 singles after dropping the first set, and pulled through for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win to clinch a 5-4 match victory for the University of the District of Columbia over East Coast Conference foe LIU Post on Saturday afternoon.
This marks the Firebirds' first win of the season as they even their record at 1-1 after dropping their season-opener vs. NYIT, the three-time reigning ECC champion and favorite to repeat. LIU Post, picked to finish 4th – one spot behind UDC – in the preseason conference poll, fell to 0-2 to start the season.
LIU Post took two of the three doubles matches to start match play, claiming 8-3 and 8-4 victories at No. 1 and 2 doubles, with the Firebirds' pair of Laura Rojas and Laura Dimante pulling through for an 8-4 victory at No. 3 in between those two Pioneer wins. The hosts led, 2-1 heading into singles play.
The first singles decision in came at the No. 3 slot as returning First Team All-ECC selection Peerada Looareesuwan was defeated by LIU Post's Shanice Arthur, 6-0, 6-0 to put the Pioneers up, 3-1.
At that point, UDC turned the tide with three consecutive singles wins. First, freshman Zoé Mall (Business Management – Eckbolsheim, France/Lycee Marcel Rudloff) earned her first collegiate win with a convincing, 6-2, 6-2 victory vs. Heena Kewalramani at No. 4. Senior Laura Rojas (Civil Engineering – Bogota, Columbia/Jackson State) improved to 2-0 on the season in singles play with a 6-1, 6-2 No. 6 win, followed by reigning Rookie of the Year, Laura Dimante's 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 5 over Laura Harwell, and suddenly the Firebirds had their first lead of the day, 4-3.
The Pioneers would then force a 4-4 tie as Didi Fatchikova outlasted sophomore Dominika Hadnadova (Business Management – Sala, Slovakia/Eastern Kentucky), 6-3, 6-2 at the top singles slot, which set the stage for Skobkina's dramatic match-clinching victory.
Next up, UDC will host crosstown Division I foe Georgetown on Wednesday, September 9th at 2 p.m.