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It's early, and no one has actually played UB to a full dual match yet, but it certainly looks through two weekends like Women's Tennis' surprisingly strong fall was not only a sign of things to come, but perhaps undersold the power in the Buffalo lineup, a lineup featuring only a single senior and not one but three impact freshmen to go with established talent.
After sweeping MAAC favorites Quinnipiac without issue yesterday, the Bulls easily took down Bryant (5-0) and UConn (4-1) in today's matches at the Connecticut Invitational. These matches were closer than the scores indicate, as Buffalo took advantage of three third-set tiebreakers against the Bulldogs and two against the Huskies, but there's something to be said for winning all five, from five different student-athletes, no less.
Once again forced to squeeze her lineup into fewer than the usual slots, Coach Maines shuffled things quite a bit between the two matches. In doubles, Tanja Stojanovska and Chantal Martinez-Blanco rolled through their Bryant competition, while Margarita Kotok and Dayana Agasieva matched them in a win over UConn. The Kotok/Agasieva pairing was also victorious against Quinnipiac last night.
Only freshman Sanjana Sudhir and junior Laura Holterbosch competed in singles in both matches, combining to go 3-1, while Kotok, Martinez-Blanco, Stojanovska, and freshman Mercedes Losada Rubio all topped their competition. Sudhir was 3-0 on the weekend, appearing in the singles lineup at every opportunity.
Four matches into the season, UB has now dropped only a single point.
The 3-0 record on the weekend includes two wins over 2015 NCAA Tournament teams in Quinnipiac and Bryant before UB takes on Duquesne next Friday. UB fell to the Dukes 4-3 last year despite singles wins from Kotok, Agasieva, and Holterbosch.
vs Bryant
Doubles:
Stojanovska/Martinez-Blanco (UB) def. Leonard/Sjoberg (BRY); 6-2, 6-3
Singles:
Kotok (UB) def. Brown (BRY); 6-1, 4-6, 12-10
Holterbosch (UB) def. Luiggi (BRY); 6-2, 7-5
Sudhir (UB) def. Campfield (BRY); 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
Losada Rubio (UB) def. Bouillin (BRY); 6-4, 3-6, 10-7
vs UConn
Doubles:
Kotok/Agasieva (UB) def. Zaki/Walker (UConn); 6-4, 6-1
Singles:
Stojanovska (UB) def. Stosljevic (UConn); 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
Martinez-Blanco (UB) def. Alderman (UConn); 2-6, 6-3, 10-2
Pletnyeva (UConn) def. Holterbosch (UB); 6-3, 6-2
Sudhir (UB) def. Flanagan (UConn); 7-6 (4), 6-4