No. 21 Women's Tennis Dominates NCAA First Round Matchup with Furman 4-1No. 21 Women's Tennis Dominates NCAA First Round Matchup with Furman 4-1
Edward Finan / UCF Athletics

No. 21 Women's Tennis Dominates NCAA First Round Matchup with Furman 4-1

by Alex Clough

RALEIGH, North Carolina - It was all business on Friday afternoon in Raleigh.

Highlighted by dominating performances across singles play, the No. 21 UCF women’s tennis team bested third-seeded Furman in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, 4-1. The win marks the fifth all-time bid into the round of 32 for the program and its first since 2022.

After taking just one doubles point from three at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago, the Knights never wavered in a dominating display this afternoon to snatch the early lead. Early advantages on each court made the eventual lead a formality, with UCF consistently breaking the Paladins on serve.

Named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts in Waco, Olivia Bergler and Jade Psonka didn’t lose a stride over the two-week break, sweeping Furman’s Alexa Griffin and Grace Thomas on court three to propel the Knights forward. It marks the duo's first 6-0 triumph together and their third on the jump, a welcome development for Koniecko and his staff.

Both courts one and two sat a 5-3 in the Knights’ favor as the point wound down, eventually crossing the line via Sophia Biolay and Aya El Aouni’s efforts on the middle court, besting Jess Dawson and Macy Hitchcock for the pairings team-leading 13th win of the season alongside each other. Fellow All-Big 12 Doubles Team honorees, Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt, remained with the two-game advantage when the point concluded.

UCF strived out to four first-set leads as singles play commenced, as the momentum continued to build. A pair of familiar faces claimed their courts in just over an hour to put the squad within one of the last 32.

Crowned Big 12 Player of the Year on Wednesday, 113th-ranked Lincer backed up the credentials with a brilliant performance on court one, defeating Sara Snyder 6-1, 6-3. The sophomore has taken six of nine without tasting defeat, adding to her career-high 15 wins on the season.

All-Big 12 Singles First Team honoree, 108th-ranked Biolay, wasn’t far behind as she swept her second set to secure a strong 6-3, 6-0, triumph over Dawson on court three. The senior has now taken nine consecutive sets after sweeping competition in all three rounds of the Big 12 Championship.

Furman got onto the board courtesy Hitchcock’s victory over Olivia Bergler on court five, though the Paladins weren’t able to capitalize from there. 

While El Aouni was amidst a contested court-two third set and Psonka was striving to send her bout into a decider, their fellow freshman Hannah Rylatt dominated her second set on court six opposite Grace Thomas, 7-5, 6-2, to claim the first round triumph for the Black and Gold.

UP NEXT

The Knights will await the winner of tonight’s duel between host No. 12 NC State and Charleston Southern. First serve of tomorrow’s second-round bout will be at 1 p.m.

Singles Results

  1. #113 Olivia Lincer (UCF) def. Sara Snyder (FURM) 6-1, 6-3
  2. Aya El Aouni (UCF) vs. Marissa Pennings (FURM) 1-6, 6-3, 2-2
  3. #108 Sophia Biolay (UCF) def. Jess Dawson (FURM) 6-3, 6-0
  4. Jade Psonka (UCF) vs. Ellie Schulson (FURM) 5-7, 4-1
  5. Macy Hitchcock (FURM) def. Olivia Bergler (UCF) 6-4, 6-1
  6. Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Grace Thomas (FURM) 7-5, 6-2

Doubles Results

  1. #49 Olivia Lincer/Hannah Rylatt (UCF) vs. Ellie Schulson/Sara Snyder (FURM) 5-3, unfinished
  2. Sophia Biolay/Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Jess Dawson/Macy Hitchcock (FURM) 6-3
  3. Olivia Bergler/Jade Psonka (UCF) def. Alexa Griffin/Grace Thomas (FURM) 6-0