March 25, 2006
ORLANDO - Coming off a convincing Friday sweep of Dartmouth, the UCF women's tennis team dropped UTEP, 7-0, to win their fifth consecutive match Saturday.
The Golden Knights (10-6) won the doubles point by sweeping all three matches over the Miners (6-11). At the No. 1 and No.3 spots, UCF took identical 8-1 victories.
In singles competition, sophomore Kyla McNicol gave the home team a 2-0 lead after defeating freshman Amber Brightly, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6, while at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, freshmen Elvira Serrot and Kenza Belbacha grabbed 6-2, 6-2 wins over their respective opponents.
Sophomore Anna Yakimchenkova fought UTEP senior Danni King for the winning point at No. 4. After losing the first set, 6-1, she rebounded for a 6-1 win in the second and took the tiebreaker 10-4.
Meanwhile at the top spot, senior captain Pamela Fernandez won her first set 6-2 before battling to a tiebreaker in the second, which she won 7-6. Junior Megan Hunter also won her match on a tiebreaker at No. 5.
"It was a good win for us because the girls played hard and played tough," said UCF head coach Patricia Allison. "This creates some momentum to help spring us into our next couple of matches against some top teams."
Next up, the Golden Knights travel to Louisville, Ky., where they face Marshall on April 1 at 1 p.m. and Louisville on April 2 at 10 a.m.
Singles
1. Pamela Fernandez (UCF) def. Teri Wilkerson (UTEP), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Elvira Serrot (UCF) def. Katherine Palider (UTEP), 6-2, 6-2
3. Kenza Belbacha (UCF) def. Sandra Spirta (UTEP), 6-2, 6-2
4. Anna Yakimchenkova (UCF) def. Danni King (UTEP), 1-6, 6-1 (10-4)
5. Megan Hunter (UCF) def. Vicky Michaud (UTEP), 6-3, 4-6 (13-11)
6. Kyla McNicol (UCF) def. Amber Brightly (UTEP), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Fernandez/Serrot (UCF) def. King/Palider (UTEP), 8-1
2. Hunter/McNicol (UCF) def. Wilkerson/Spirta (UTEP), 8-5
3. Becky Gordon/Yakimchenkova (UCF) def. Michaud/Brightly (UTEP), 8-1
Order of Finish: Doubles - 3, 1, 2; Singles - 6, 3, 2, 4, 1, 5.