Match Results
San Francisco, CA – Despite the rainy weather, the Academy of Art University's tennis team found a way to play their match against Dixie State College on Friday afternoon. The Urban Knights seemed un-phased by the climate, and immediately went to work on their Red Storm opponents. The Urban Knight women battled hard and played extremely well both as a team and individuals on the day. After four hours of tennis, the Knights came away with a big victory over the Red Storm, winning with a final score of 8-1.
“Today's match was one of the best performances the team has had this season,” Head Coach Dave Allen said. “Mental toughness was a key factor for us in this long match. We've gotten better throughout this season and it shows in each position.”
ART U started things off in doubles competition. Laone "Lala" Botshoma and Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa teamed up and as usual were a force not to be reckoned with. The pair easily defeated their challengers winning 8-3. Amal Ben El Hadj and Diane Phan also kept their winning streak intact when they defeated their opponents with a score of 8-2. Paola Correa Fe and Cecilia Hedin were the third and final doubles pair for ART U. The two battled hard, but ultimately fell with a final score of 4-8.
The Urban Knights took their early lead momentum into singles play with them. The women let their dominating singles game control things from there. Phukchampa got things going in the No. 1 spot when she defeated her Red Storm challenger 6-1, 6-0. In the No. 2 spot was Botshoma who kept things going with a 6-3, 6-1 victory, and she was followed by Ben El Hadj who came up with a big win, taking her match with scores of 6-0, 6-1. In the No. 4 spot was Diane Phan who was victorious over her challenger 6-2, 6-0. Maria "Belen" Tenorio kept things going with a win over her opponent, 6-3, 6-0, and rounding things out for the Knights was Paola Correa Fe who came up with a victory of 6-1, 6-2 to earn her team the complete singles sweep over Dixie.
ART U played their hearts out in front of their home crowd, and only faltered slightly in doubles play. The Knights did not lose a set in singles play, and at the end of it all, the women came away with the win with a final score of 8-1. “I think having the support of a home crowd provided a huge advantage to us in this match,” Coach Allen replied. “We fed off the support and also the generosity we received from the San Francisco Tennis Club during this inclement weather.”
With the win, the Academy of Art University's record improves to 9-2 overall, while Dixie State College's record falls to 3-10 overall. The Knights play again tomorrow, March 19th when they host Grand Canyon University in their final home match of the season. First serve is scheduled for 12:00 pm at the San Francisco Tennis Club.
Coach Allen concluded, “This is a great team and I've really enjoyed watching them grow and bond this year. They've continued to improve with every match and I'm impressed by how disciplined they've become with their shots.”
