March 11, 2016
Final Stats
UCF vs. SMU - (3/11/16) - Images by UCF Knights
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The Knights posted a 4-1 victory over SMU on Friday and head coach Stephanie Nickitas notched her 100th-career win in nine seasons at UCF. Sophomore Emilia Granstrom clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 2.
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"This is a great milestone to hit and I am extremely proud of how the girls stepped up in a big match," Nickitas said. "I was completely surprised to be recognized following the match. This is a number that I did not keep track of because I am focused on how our team is doing individually from match to match.
"We had a tough doubles match, but it was nice to see the entire team bounce back and fire on all cylinders during singles play. This is something that we are striving for all the time and to know that we are capable of doing that against a really good team is a big confidence boost."
The Knights (7-4) took a doubles match at No. 2 to start the morning with a 6-3 win by junior Cortney Cesarini and sophomore Monica Matias. SMU (8-6) evened the match at No. 3, 6-3, and took the doubles point in a tightly contested 6-4 match at No. 1.
In singles play, the momentum turned as UCF won the first set in five of the six matches. Cesarini posted the first point for the Knights with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 4.
A 6-3, 6-2 triumph by freshman Natalia Serrano at No. 5 put the Knights on top before freshman Diana Dehterevich pushed the advantage to 3-1 with a 6-4, 6-0 win.
Granstrom closed out the match with a straight-set victory to stretch the current win streak for UCF to three matches.
In nine season at UCF, Nickitas has compiled a 100-77 record, which includes six campaigns with a .500-or-better mark.
The Knights are set to face Cleveland State on Wednesday at 10 a.m. before hosting Albany on Thursday at 2 p.m. UCF rounds out a three-match week on Saturday with a noon start vs. Syracuse.
SMU vs UCF
Mar 11, 2016 at Orlando, Fla.
(UCF Tennis Complex)
UCF 4, SMU 1
Singles competition
1. Caroline Eberhart (UCF) vs. Hristina Dishkova (SMU) 6-4, 3-6, 1-2, unfinished
2. Emilia Granstrom (UCF) def. Vaszilisza Bulgakova (SMU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Monica Matias (UCF) vs. Yana Erkeeva (SMU) 5-7, 5-1, unfinished
4. Cortney Cesarini (UCF) def. Dasha Sharapova (SMU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Natalia Serrano (UCF) def. Mary Wright (SMU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Diana Dehterevich (UCF) def. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Hristina Dishkova/Vaszilisza Bulgakova (SMU) def. Emilia Granstrom/Caroline Eberhart (UCF) 6-4
2. Cortney Cesarini/Monica Matias (UCF) def. Dasha Sharapova/Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) 6-3
3. Mary Wright/Macie Elliot (SMU) def. Clare Mendell/Natalia Serrano (UCF) 6-1
Match Notes:
SMU 8-6
UCF 7-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,5,6,2)
T-2:26 A-36