The College of Staten Island women’s tennis team started the defense of their CUNYAC Championship with a strong first step in 2014, scoring a 7-2 winner over visiting Brooklyn College in conference play at the CSI Tennis Center. After the CUNYAC Final rematch, the Dolphins advanced to 1-0, while the Bulldogs leveled to 1-1.
Play started with doubles and the Dolphins got off to a fast start. In the No. 2 spot, the CSI tandem of Sabrina Bragerton-Nasert and Madiha Mulla were first to finish with an 8-3 winner over BC’s Diana Beshta and Rosalia Xue. One court over, CSI’s freshmen tandem of Aziza Jurabaeva and Viktoriya Volkova got their careers off to a great start, winning 8-5 at the No. 3 position.
In the top spot, CSI suffered a tough defeat. The team of Nozima Toshpulatova and Michelle Kushnir took an early lead, but BC’s Suraya Maenhout and Muriel Dervich mounted a steady comeback, ultimately scoring a 7-6 win, giving Brooklyn life at 7-6.
When play turned to singles, CSI took over. The Dolphins took five of the six flights, looking impressive up and down the lineup.
Bragerton-Nasert scored an efficient, 6-2, 6-1, win in the number two position, while Mulla (No. 4) and Kushnir (No. 5) breezed in their sets as well. In the No. 6 position, Volkova won a feverish set with Lauren Marino, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6, while in the pole position, Toshpulatova bested Maenhout, 6-4, 7-5, in what was the final match to be settled.
CSI will next travel to Connecticut to face Albertus Magnus College on Sunday, September 14, at 1pm.
