The College of Staten Island women’s tennis team gave a valiant effort on Friday afternoon as part of the CUNYAC Championship Semifinals, but the No. 4 Dolphins fell to the top-seed Brooklyn College, 5-1, at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. Brooklyn will go on to face No. 2 Hunter College tomorrow for the CUNYAC Championship, while CSI finishes their season 7-10 overall.
The favored Bulldogs left little to doubt in the match, taking a crucial, 2-0 advantage by virtue of a pair of quick wins in doubles. In the top spot, BC’s Yuliya Orkis and Liana Rivkin got all of CSI’s Alena Vedeneeva and Sophia Varriano, but were too much for the Dolphins, 8-4. Shortly after, Janice Shen and Gianna Gelosi bounced CSI’s Demi-Jean Martorano and Maryna Incherchera, 8-3.
The Dolphins were able to get on the board at the No. 2 position, as Ilona Stoyko and Jean Baak were able to hold off Norma Chabbot and Maria Sanz, 8-6.
The Bulldogs, however, proved too powerful for the Dolphins in Singles. A likely nod for CUNYAC Player of the Year, Orkis made short work of Stoyko in the top position, 6-0, 6-0, and Shen then worked Varriano to a 6-2, 6-1 final, giving Brooklyn a 4-1 edge. Down at No. 4, Baak gave everything to fight off Sanz, but Sanz was finally able to clinch via a 7-5, 7-5, final.
At 5-1, the match was halted but CSI was holding their own in unfinished play. BC’s Gelosi had a 6-4, 5-4 edge on CSI’s Katie Masterson at No. 6, who took over the sixth spot in place of Incherchera, who suffered an injury during doubles play that prevented her from continuing into singles. Meanwhile, at No. 5 Chabbott and Martorano were locked at one set apiece going into a third set. At No. 2 Vedeneeva lost her first set to Rivkin, 6-0, but won the second set, 6-3, and was ahead 3-1 in the third set.
Tomorrow’s final at National Tennis Center is slated for a 4pm start. The Bulldogs defeated Hunter during regular season play in their only meeting.
