No. 25 Women's Tennis Overpowers Miami, 4-2No. 25 Women's Tennis Overpowers Miami, 4-2
Jon Rose / UCF Athletics

No. 25 Women's Tennis Overpowers Miami, 4-2

by Aiden Kocol
Box Score (PDF)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 25 women’s tennis team wrapped up its weekend trip south in an emphatic fashion Sunday afternoon, outlasting the Miami Hurricanes at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center to bring home a 4-2 victory.  

The Knights are now 5-1 on the season, boasting an impressive 4-0 record against their in-state foes.

Although the Hurricanes jumped out to an early lead, claiming a 6-1 victory over Jade Psonka and Lauren Seye on court three, the Knights quickly responded, as Daryna Shoshyna and Hannah Rylatt evened the momentum on court two, securing a 6-3 victory. 

Attention then shifted to the top court, where Marina Gatell and Jantje Tilbuerger were locked in a tight 5-5 battle with Miami’s Dominika Podhajecka and Raquel Gonzalez. The pair edged ahead 6-5 and maintained their momentum, closing out the match with a 7-5 victory, to give the Black and Gold the lead headed into singles play.

 

After Rylatt’s retirement on court four handed Miami a point, Gatell wasted little time restoring order during singles action. The freshman powered past her opponent 6-4, 6-3 to put the Knights back on top. Miami refused to let it slip away quietly, though. On court one, No. 73 Raquel Gonzalez. defeated Shoshyna 6-4, 6-1 to knot the match at 2-2 and shift the pressure squarely onto the remaining courts.

With the dual hanging in the balance, Tilbuerger delivered a poised, commanding performance on court two. The senior controlled the match from the jump and closed out a 6-3, 6-2 win to give the Black and Gold a 3-2 edge.

Minutes later, Psonka delivered the decisive point. Staying steady on court six, securing a 6-4, 6-3 victory to clinch the match and cap UCF’s fourth straight win. The win improves the Knights to 5-1 on the season, while the Hurricanes fall to 3-2.

 

UP NEXT
The Knights return to the USTA on Friday, Feb. 20, where they will host Florida Atlantic in a 6 PM matchup. The contest marks the start of a four-game homestand as the squad looks to extend its 14-game home winning streak.

SINGLES RESULTS

  1. #73 Raquel Gonzalez (UM) def. Daryna Shoshyna (UCF) 6-4, 6-1
  2. Jantje Tilbuerger (UCF) def. Sofia Rocchetti (UM) 6-3, 6-2
  3. Marina Gatell (UCF) def. Ela Plosnik (UM) 6-4, 6-3
  4. #97 Aely Arai (UM) def. Hannah Rylatt (UCF) 1-0, retired
  5. Dominika Podhajecka (UM) vs. Lauren Seye (UCF) 7-6 (8-6), 2-2, unfinished
  6. Jade Psnoka (UCF) def. Daria Volosova (UM) 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES RESULTS

  1. Jantje Tilbuerger/Marina Gatell (UCF) def. Dominika Podhajecka/Raquel Gonzalez (UM) 7-5
  2. Daryna Shoshyna/Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Aely Arai/Sofia Rocchetti (UM) 6-3
  3. Maria Vargas/Daria Volosova (UM) def. Jade Psnoka/Lauren Seye (UCF) 6-1