Match Results

San Francisco, CA - A day after the theoretical end to the season with the conclusion of the PacWest Tournament, the Academy of Art women's tennis team was back on the courts, and back to winning. In a makeup match that was the result of a downed transformer earlier this year, the Urban Knights defeated Sonoma State 5-3 for their second win over the Seawolves this year, a team against which the Knights were 0-3 against heading into 2012.

The Knights honored their four seniors in a prematch ceremony, and all of them got a chance to show off their stuff in their final regular season match as Urban Knights. Senior Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa teamed up with Jenny Johansson to defeat Megan White and Krista Cole 8-2. Seniors Paola Correa Fe and Cecilia Hedin also got in on the action, but they dropped their third doubles match 8-5. Senior Maria "Belen" Tenorio was out of action because of injury.

"The four seniors were featured in a warm sendoff to their Academy of Art careers," said head coach Jerry Peach. "Our freshmen, Kinga Kurczbuch, Jenny Johansson, Sarah Lemp, and sophomore Courtney DeWalt all spoke of their admiration for their older teammates and presented each departing senior with red roses as a sign of the Urban Knight colors."

Heading into singles play up 2-1, Phukchampa would win her match 6-1, 6-2. Ben El Hadj handled her opponent in second singles 6-1, 7-5, and Johansson set the program record for singles wins in a season, defeating Brooke McBride 6-4, 6-2. Diane Phan ended up tying with Sheena Johnson, as the Knights and Seawolves were playing by tournament rules (first to 5), while Correa Fe and Sarah Lemp dropped fifth and sixth singles. 

The Urban Knights set a new program record with 13 wins, and will finish the year 13-11 as a team. Even after this match, there is still more tennis to be played, as Peach announced that Phukchampa, Johansson, and Ben El Hadj will be representing the Urban Knights at the OJAI Tournament in Ojai, CA later this month.