RESULTS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern tennis team (2-2, 2-1 SSC) returned to the winning column with a victory at home over the No. 22 Tampa Spartans Saturday, 7-2.
"It's great to beat the 22nd nationally ranked team," stated head coach
Stephen Schram. "Knowing that same team defeated us last year 7-2 shows that we are making progress. They are improving so much in doubles and have really bought into the system. It's nice to have former Shark standout,
Austin Lavallii, as my assistant because she provides the great positive energy that helps us excel in both singles and doubles."
In two matches last season, NSU and Tampa split the series. However, the Spartans came out in total points combined, 11-7. Although the Sharks are made up largely of returners, this year's battle played out much differently. NSU won two out of three doubles matches and dropped only one singles battle in a close three setter.
In doubles, the junior team of
Alexandra Johansson (Sydney, Australia) and
Charlotte Cote (Montreal, Canada) won their second draw match against Lindsay Nochowicz and Kelsey Matthews in near-perfect fashion, 8-1. NSU also picked up a win in the third flight, with sophomores
Juliet Serabian (Plantation, Fla.) and
Linda Kornienko (Fort Myers, Fla.) defeating Viviana Tedino and Katherine Pyne, 8-5. NSU's only doubles loss came at the top of the lineup. Sophomores
Sabrina Kierberg (Berlin, Germany) and
Iryna Serdyuk (Boca Raton, Fla.) lost to Meg Wladimirski and Lauren Hewett, the 22nd ranked doubles team in the nation, 8-3.
In singles, NSU won by mostly wide scores. Johansson, ranked 37
th in the nation, exacted revenge on No. 39 Wladimirski in the top flight, 6-2, 6-2. Kierberg remained undefeated in singles play, but had to grind out the victory over Hewett, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6.
Carlee Rizzolo (So., Livingston, N.J.) earned one of the biggest wins of her career, double-bageling Tedino, 6-0, 6-0. In the fourth draw, Cote wrapped up a perfect day by defeating Nochowicz, 6-1, 6-3. Finally, NSU earned a victory in the sixth flight when Kornienko defeated Pyne, 6-0, 6-4. NSU was close to completing a singles sweep, but Tampa just barely pulled out the fifth-draw win. Tampa's Matthews defeated Serabian, 5-7, 6-2, 10-8.
The Sharks will now gear up for their toughest opponent of the season, No. 3 Barry, Tuesday at 2 p.m. at home.
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