Box Score

Glendale, AZ -- On Day Two of the Paseo Tournament, the Academy of Art University women's tennis team was propelled into strong singles play by a come-from-behind doubles victory for junior Paola Correa Fe and freshman Courtney DeWalt. The Urban Knights went on to triumph 7-2 over Chaminade University, last season's third place team in the Pacific West Conference, with many contributions up and down the roster.

“With our singles lineup, all six took on a completely different attitude in this match which shows that we're beginning to sink our teeth into this season,” Head Coach Dave Allen said. “We've got a bunch of newcomers to this team and are still trying to figure out what our lineup is going to be, but the feeling out there was that this was another step to building that bond. This young team is bonding together and in this particular match, you could see it in their eyes.”

In Friday afternoon's doubles action, ART U saw highlight 8-6 victories from both its second and third positions. While sophomore Diane Phan and senior Laone "Lala" Botshoma teammed up for their win at #2, the aforementioned tandem of DeWalt and Correa Fe were in the match of the day at #3.

Down to their CUH opponents 5-0 to start, DeWalt and Correa Fe responded with an impressive comeback. With the teams tied at 5-5, DeWalt offered a solid service game and the winning point was a cross shot from Correa Fe which Coach Allen called "incredible." The pair went on to win 8-6 and the Knights now had momentum.

“Courtney and Paola responded extremely well in the match after being down 5-0 and mounting a comeback,” Coach Allen reflected. “From that point on, the girls knew they had to dig deep to beat Chaminade's team. They were amazing.”

Highlights in singles play included a straight-sets victory at the number one position for junior Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa. She topped her opponent, Yuka Kondo, 7-5, 6-4. All five of ART U's singles wins were in straight-sets with veterans Correa Fe and junior Maria "Belen" Tenorio each quickly taking care of business. Correa Fe used her own success in doubles to prevail 6-3, 6-2 in the #6 position while Tenorio was the first Knight to complete her match by way of a 6-0, 6-2 decision at #5. Coach Allen commended both for responding well to a "pressure-filled match against Chaminade."

“Chaminade Head Coach Blake Mosley and Assistant Coach Bob Ford have done an incredible job with their team and we knew this was going to be a real challenge,” Coach Allen explained. “Before the match even began, we exchanged a knowing glance from across the court, showing respect for both teams. We knew it would be a big dogfight.”

Academy of Art will play its third opponent in the Paseo Tournament tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 12 when the Knights face #33 Grand Canyon. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM MST.