Women's Tennis Falls to UConn, 4-3

Saturday, March 28

Upper Dublin Sports Center

5:30 p.m.

Temple University

UConn

Photo by: Ed Davis

Women's Tennis Falls to UConn, 4-3

3.29.15 | Women's Tennis

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – After a back and forth battle, the women's tennis team was defeated by American Athletic Conference foe UConn, 4-3.

"It was a tough match that could have gone either way," said head coach Steve Mauro. "Unfortunately we were playing without one of our starters, Yana Khon, who sprained her ankle a couple of days ago in practice. I think if she was there, it would have made a difference."

The Owls started strong by sweeping the doubles point. Alina Abdurakhimova and Dina Karina downed Emma Alderman and Zaina Zaki, 6-1 at the second flight. Anais Nussaume and Monet Stuckey-Willis clinched the point and their seventh doubles victory with a 6-3 win at the first flight over Srna Stosljevic and Maxene Weinberg. Minami Okajima and Mariana Bedon also were able to pick up a 6-5(4) win at the third flight over Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva and Summer Walker.

It was during singles competition that teams began to battle through their sets. The Huskies were quick to tie things up at 1-1, after Pletnyeva defeated Karina, 6-1, 6-2 at the third flight. However, Stuckey-Willis brought the lead back to 2-1 in favor of the Owls with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at the second flight over Alderman.

The score was once again tied at 2-2 after Walker took down Nussaume at the fourth flight, 6-0, 6-4. Abdurakhimova picked up her 13th victory at the first flight in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Stosljevic to give the Owls the 3-2 lead. To finish out the match, UConn was able to take victories at the fifth and sixth flights to take the 4-3 victory.

Mauro was proud of the way the girls fought throughout their flights, with special credit given to his two newcomers on the team.

"The girls played hard, and we had strong performances from Abdurakhimova at flight one and Stuckey-Willis at flight two," said Mauro. "Our freshman have been doing such a great job and have been leading our team."

The Owls (12-6, 0-4 The American) will return to North Broad Street on March 31 to take on Rider at 2 p.m. at TU Pavilion.

UConn 4, Temple 3
Doubles:
1) Nussaume/Stuckey-Willis (TU) def. Stosljevic/Weinberg (UConn), 6-3
2) Karina/Abdurakhimova (TU) def. Alderman/Zaki (UConn), 6-1
3) Okajima/Bedon (TU) def. Pletnyeva/Walker (UConn), 6-5(4)

Singles:
1) Abdurakhimova (TU) def. Stosljevic (UConn), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
2) Stuckey-Willis (TU) def. Alderman (UConn), 6-2, 6-4
3) Pletnyeva (UConn) def. Karina (TU), 6-1, 6-2
4) Walker (UConn) def. Nussaume (TU), 6-0, 6-4
5) Zaki (UConn) def. Okajima (TU), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
6) Flanagan (UConn) def. Bedon (TU), 6-4, 6-4

Order of Finish
Doubles: 2,1,3
Singles: 3,2,4,1,5,6