Glendale, Ariz. -- In Academy of Art University's fourth consecutive match at the Grand Canyon University women's tennis tournament, the Urban Knights defeated Pacific West Conference opponent Dixie State College 6-3 for their first win of this inaugural season. Victorious in #1 and #2 doubles as well as slots #1-#4 in singles, AAU made short work of the Red Storm in the match and improved to 1-5 overall.
Sophomore Cassy Fabiani teamed with freshman Paola Correa Fe to take the #1 doubles pairing against Ashley Lafeen and Brittny Rogers, 8-2, while sophomore Laone "Lala" Botshoma combined with Maria "Belen" Tenorio for an 8-5 win over Alexandria Bergen and Lauren Centrella at #2. Finally, the #3 doubles position resulted in a 8-5 loss for AAU in the matchup of Annie Salmon and Lauren Tarver versus senior Anna Ritchie and freshman Cecilia Hedin.
In singles action, Fabianni relinquished just one game in a straight sets victory (6-1, 6-0) over Bergen at #1. The #2 slot saw Botshoma taking her own sweep (6-2, 6-0) against Lafeen. At #3, Correa Fe defeated Rogers in a third-set tiebreak (0-6, 6-2, 10-4) and Tenorio triumphed over Centrella 6-0, 6-2. Dixie State College got the best of Academy of Art University at #5 and #6 with two hard-fought wins including Tarver over Ritchie and Nicole Pigott over freshman Solveig Barnes.
Results:
Singles
#1 Cassy Fabiani def. Alexandria Bergen 6-1, 6-0
#2 Laone "Lala" Botshoma def. Ashley Lafeen 6-2, 6-0
#3 Paola Correa Fe def. Brittny Rogers 0-6, 6-2, 10-4
#4 Maria "Belen" Tenorio def. Lauren Centrella 6-0, 6-2
#5 Lauren Tarver def. Anna Ritchie 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)
#6 Nicole Pigott def. Solveig Barnes 6-4, 3-6, 10-7
Doubles
#1 Cassy Fabiani & Paola Correa Fe def. Ashley Lafeen & Brittny Rogers 8-2
#2 Maria "Belen" Tenorio & Laone "Lala" Botshoma def. Alexandria Bergen & Lauren Centrella 8-5
#3 Annie Salmon & Lauren Tarver def. Anna Ritchie & Cecilia Hedin 8-5
Final Score: AAU 6, DSC 3
Glendale, Ariz. -- On the fifth and final day of GCU's Tournament, the Urban Knights dropped a 5-3 decision to Midwestern State University. Despite taking victories at the #1-#3 slots, Academy of Art University could not prevail on the doubles side where they won at #2, but lost in the #1 and #3 positions. The loss puts AAU at 1-6 overall while MSU moves to 4-2.
Fabiani improved to 5-1 overall at AAU's #1 singles spot with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Kaja Banas followed by another win at #2 for Botshoma who bested Colleen Kinser in a thriller, 6-7, 7-5, 11-9. At #3, Tenorio didn't lose a game against Tonya Blair and won 6-0, 6-0. The Mustangs, however, answered back with their own victories at #4-#6 as Faye D'Hamecourt defeated Correa Fe 6-2, 6-1 at #4, Holly Gunderson won against Ritchie 6-4, 7-5 at #5 and Jennifer Woodland beat Hedin 6-1, 6-2 in the final position.
Although the team of Tenorio and Botshoma would defeat Blair and Kinser in the #2 doubles spot 8-3, Midwestern State won the match with two more victories: At #1 with Banas and D'Hamecourt taking down Correa Fe and Fabianni 8-5 and at #2 with Gunderson and Woodland besting Hedin and Ritchie 8-5
Results:
Singles
#1 Cassy Fabiani def. Kaja Banas 6-0, 6-1
#2 Laone "Lala" Botshoma def. Collean Kinser 6-7, 7-5, 11-9
#3 Maria "Belen" Tenorio def. Tonya Rodgers 6-0, 6-0
#4 Faye D'Hamecourt def. Paola Correa Fe 6-2, 6-1
#5 Holly Gunderson def. Anna Ritchie 6-4, 7-5
#6 Jennifer Woodland def. Cecilia Hedin 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
#1 Kaja Banas & Faye D'Hamecourt def. Cassy Fabiani & Paola Correa Fe 8-5
#2 Maria "Belen" Tenorio & Laone "Lala" Botshoma def. Tonya Blair & Colleen Kinser 8-3
#3 Holly Gunderson & Jennifer Woodland def. Anna Ritchie & Cecilia Hedin 8-5
Final Score: MSU 5, AAU 4
