ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 25 UCF women's tennis team extended its winning streak to five matches Saturday, after completing a double-header sweep of Penn State and Memphis at the USTA National Campus. The Knights (11-2, 3-0) won 5-2 over the Nittany Lions (5-7, 0-1) and 4-1 over the Tigers (8-7, 0-3).
"This was a tough one on the schedule, I mean Penn State and Memphis on the same day," said UCF head coach Bryan Koniecko. "I think mentally and physically it pushed us to the limit today. It's awesome to get two good wins."
MATCH 1: UCF 5, Penn State 2
The Knights opened up the day with a gritty 5-2 win over Big 10 opponent Penn State.
Penn State (5-7, 0-1) opened the match with a pair of doubles victories to take an early 1-0 lead.
Samantha Smith and Gabby O'Gorman took down Silvia Bordes and Rebeka Stolmar with a 6-3 win at No.2 and Frederikke Svarre and Hanna Wikberg defeated
Monica Matias and Natalia Serrano, 7-5 at No. 3.
UCF would flip the switch heading into singles play, winning five of six matches.
Bordes put the Knights on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Hanna Wikberg at No. 6. Moments later, Matias would give UCF the lead with a straight sets 6-3, 6-2 win over Bennett Dunn at No. 4.
The Black and Gold continued to flex their muscle, as Ksenia Kuznetsova took down Svarre, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 1 to put the Knights one match away from victory.
The Nittany Lions would earn one more point, after Smith defeated Serrano, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5.
Maria Martinez would then clinch the match for UCF with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over O'Gorman at No. 2.
Stolmar also earned a victory at No. 3 to round out the matches. The freshman came from behind to beat Shannon Hanley, 2-6, 7-5, 11-9.
UCF 5, Penn State 2
Singles competition
1. Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF-W) def. Frederikke Svarre (PSU) 6-3, 7-5
2. Maria Martinez (UCF-W) def. Gabby O'Gorman (PSU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
3. #92 Rebeka Stolmar (UCF-W) def. Shannon Hanley (PSU) 2-6, 7-5, 11-9
4. Monica Matias (UCF-W) def. Bennett Dunn (PSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Samantha Smith (PSU) def. Natalia Serrano (UCF-W) 6-2, 6-4
6. Silvia Bordes (UCF-W) def. Hanna Wikberg (PSU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Ksenia Kuznetsova/Maria Martinez (UCF-W) vs. Bennett Dunn/Shannon Hanley (PSU) unfinished
2. Samantha Smith/Gabby O'Gorman (PSU) def. Silvia Bordes/Rebeka Stolmar (UCF-W) 6-4
3. Frederikke Svarre/Hanna Wikberg (PSU) def. Monica Matias/Natalia Serrano (UCF-W) 7-5
MATCH 2: UCF 4, Memphis 0
The nightcap featured an American Athletic Conference showdown between Memphis and the Knights.
After dropping the doubles point versus Penn State, UCF was able to get this match off to a fast start with two doubles victories to earn the opening match point.
Kuznetsova and Martinez made quick work of Hanna Sohn and Laura Bente at No. 1 with a 6-1 victory. Matias and Serrano clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Claire Sullivan and Josephine Cao at No. 3.
The Knights were once again tested in multiple singles matches, including being forced to move play indoors halfway through singles play due to poor weather.
Senior Emilia Granstrom was dominant in her 6-3, 6-2 win over Josephine Cao at No. 6 for UCF's second point of the match.
Minutes later, Serrano took down Alisha Reayer, 6-3, 6-3 to put the Black and Gold on the brink of their third conference win of the season.
The Knights certainly had to earn the final match point, as the remaining four matches all went into the third set.
Memphis earned a win at No. 1 for their lone point, when Anki Wind defeated Kuznetsova, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
The clincher came when Stolmar went back-and-forth with Laura Bente at No. 3, and ultimately prevailed with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 win.
UCF 4, Memphis 1
Singles competition
1. Anki Wind (MEMPHIS) def. Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF-W) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. Maria Martinez (UCF-W) vs. Hanna Sohn (MEMPHIS) unfinished
3. #92 Rebeka Stolmar (UCF-W) def. Laura Bente (MEMPHIS) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
4. Natalia Serrano (UCF-W) def. Alisha Reayer (MEMPHIS) 6-3, 6-3
5. Silvia Bordes (UCF-W) vs. Katherine Cao (MEMPHIS) unfinished
6. Emilia Granstrom (UCF-W) def. Josephine Cao (MEMPHIS) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Ksenia Kuznetsova/Maria Martinez (UCF-W) def. Hanna Sohn/Laura Bente (MEMPHIS) 6-1
2. Rebeka Stolmar/Silvia Bordes (UCF-W) vs. Anki Wind/Katherine Cao (MEMPHIS) unfinished
3. Monica Matias/Natalia Serrano (UCF-W) def. Claire Sullivan/Josephine Cao (MEMPHIS) 6-3
UP NEXT
The Knights will have some time to recover and continue to improve, as they do not play again until March 21 when they welcome Clemson to the USTA National Campus for a 3 p.m. match.
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