With four freshmen making their dual-match debuts, a trio of doubles pairings wasted no time finding their stride against the Eagles. Led by the dominating presence of 65th-ranked tandem, Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt, on court two, the Knights dropped just five games across three bouts.
The aforementioned duo took care of business, defeating the Eagles’ Mackenzie Leopold and Lisen Rinman, 6-1, giving all the signs their strong fall will shift into the spring. The clinch would come on one, as Aya El Aouni and Sophia Biolay broke serve early en route to a 6-2 triumph over Evelyn Warkentin and Juliette Nask.
On three, Olivia Bergler and Jade Psonka were just a game away from a victory of their own, with the match going unclaimed at 5-2.
Singles saw more of the same from the Black and Gold as UCF took first sets on five of six courts, taking an efficient hold of the match. Within minutes, three Knights tallied their first singles victories, all in convincing fashion.
Moroccan native El Aouni dropped one game in the first set before sweeping Lisen Rinman on court two, 6-1, 6-0. The second-set theme continued on court five as Rylatt took care of business, 6-2, 6-0, followed by a Bergler bagel of her own to clinch the team win on court four, 6-4, 6-0.
Following a Biolay third-set super tiebreak win on court one against Evelyn Warkentin, 6-1, 1-6, 1-0(10-7), Psonka joined her fellow first years with a 6-3, 6-3, triumph on court three. Across courts two to five, UCF fell in just 13 games compared to its 48.
Donatella Guarnieri battled back with a strong set-two performance to force a super tiebreak in the third before eventually falling to Hannah Eifert in the match's last meeting, 6-3, 6-7(3), 1-0(10-5).
Singles Results
1. #85 Sophia Biolay (UCF) def. Evelyn Warkentin (GS) 6-1, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7)
2. Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Lisen Rinman (GS) 6-1, 6-0
3. Jade Psonka (UCF) def. Juliette Nask (GS) 6-3, 6-3
4. Olivia Bergler (UCF) def. Franzi Heinemann (GS) 6-4, 6-0
5. Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Mackenzie Leopold (GS) 6-2, 6-0
6. Hannah Eifert (GS) def. Donatella Guarnieri (UCF) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-5)
Doubles Results
1. Aya El Aouni/Sophia Biolay (UCF) def. Evelyn Warkentin/Juliette Nask (GS) 6-2
2. #65 Olivia Lincer/Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Mackenzie Leopold/Lisen Rinman (GS) 6-1
3. Olivia Bergler/Jade Psonka (UCF) vs. Amelie Rosadoro/Nanaka Kijima (GS) 5-2, unfinished
UP NEXT
UCF will go coast-to-coast as it embarks on the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Los Angeles next weekend. The Knights will meet with hosts UCLA on Friday before a matchup with either Washington or Columbia on Saturday.
