ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After a perfect start to the 2018 season last weekend, including a win over No. 15 South Carolina, the UCF women's tennis team will look to extend its winning streak to three on Friday will a matchup against Alabama at 5 p.m. at the USTA National Campus.
Last week, the Knights (2-0) opened the campaign with a 4-3 victory over then No. 15 South Carolina. Four players donned the Black and Gold for the first time in their careers, and they didn't wait long to make an impact. Rookies Maria Martinez and Ksenia Kuznetsova picked clinched the opening doubles point at No. 1.
With UCF trailing 3-2, freshman Rebeka Stolmar staved off three match points and rallied from 5-1 down in the third set to keep the Knights alive. Natalia Serrano clinched the match with a three-set victory.
On Sunday, the Knights ran rampant on North Texas. UCF opened quickly with the doubles point, before picking up wins from Stolmar, Monica Matias and Silvia Bordes to take the match 4-1.
UCF received votes from the first in-season ITA poll of the year.
After posting a 2-0 record in singles play, Stolmar was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. The Hungarian international moved up to the No. 3 singles spot on Sunday and cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 win.
Alabama has rolled to a 4-0 record to start the season. The Crimson Tide posted back-to-back sweeps of Jackson State to start the year, before dispatching Western Kentucky and Lipscomb 4-3 and 6-0, respectively. Alabama has yet to drop a match in doubles action and are undefeated at No. 1, 5 and 6 singles this season.
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