ORLANDO – UCF women’s tennis team is set for a busy weekend back at USTA National Campus, wrapping up its non-conference competition with a duo of in-state matchups.
The Knights will face the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday, Feb. 20, at 6 PM, before taking on the Stetson Hatters on Sunday afternoon, beginning at 12 PM.
LAST TIME OUT
The Black and Gold is coming off a dominant 2-0 weekend, defeating FIU 4-1 before closing out the weekend trip with a 4-2 victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
Despite rolling out an unfamiliar doubles lineup against FIU, the Knights wasted no time setting the tone, securing the doubles point with a 6-3 victory from Jantje Tilbuerger and Marina Gatell on court one. Only tightening their grip in singles play, Vladislava Andreevskaya needed little time to secure a straight-sets win, 6-2, 6-2, on court six. Maintaining control throughout, senior Tilbuerger put the finishing touch on the afternoon, sealing the match on court two and clinching the Knights’ 4-1 triumph.
Just two days later in Coral Gables, the Knights remained strong, opening with the same doubles lineup against Miami. Although they faced a tougher battle, it was a familiar scene as Tilbuerger and Gatell secured the doubles point with a gritty 7-5 win on the front court over Dominika Podhajecka and Raquel Gonzalez.
After battling back and forth in singles play to knot the match at 2-2, the pressure shifted squarely to the remaining courts. With the dual hanging in the balance, Tilbuerger delivered a poised, commanding performance on court two, closing out a 6-3, 6-2 win to give the Black and Gold a 3-2 edge. Minutes later, Jade Psonka delivered the decisive point on court six, 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the match, 4-2.