Firebirds Women’s Tennis Falls, 5-4 in See-Saw Battle at LIU Post
BROOKVILLE, NY – The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team was defeated, 5-4 vs. host LIU Post University in East Coast Conference play Saturday morning.
The Firebirds (1-1, 1-1 ECC), fresh off a stunning, 5-4 upset of the five-time reigning ECC champion, NYIT, won three of six singles matches but only claimed one victory out of three doubles matches in the narrow loss. The Pioneers (2-0, 1-0 ECC), who were picked to finish 3rd in the ECC preseason poll, won the top two doubles matches and top three singles matches.
Sophomore Estefania Castrillon and freshman Florence Clercx edged Charlotte Hynes and Christina Jud, 8-6 at the No. 3 doubles slot, but UDC was defeated, 8-4 at No. 1 doubles and 8-6 at No. 2. The Pioneers took a 2-1 advantage into singles play.
In singles play, Clercx kicked things off by evening the score, 2-2 with a convincing, 6-1, 6-0 win over Meagan Byrne at No. 6. UDC senior captain Dominika Hadnadova was then defeated, 6-2, 6-2 by Lara Scholtze at No. 1, but the Firebirds' Anastasiia Danylova bested Veronika Koudelkova, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4 to even the score once more.
The Firebirds would force another tie in the match when, following a Paula Avellan loss to Shanice Arthur at No. 2, Castrillon came through with a clutch, 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Hynes at No. 5. Castrillon's win evened the match at four apiece, with only one unfinished match remaining at No. 3.
Junior transfer Anastasia Khomyachenko played two tough sets, but she was bested, 6-4, 6-4 by Stanislava Klymova. With Klymova's victory, LIU Post won the match, 5-4.
Next up, UDC will play its first home match of the season on Friday, September 15th vs. ECC foe Queens College at 12 p.m.