Box Score
St. George, UT – Two words can describe today's Academy of Art University's tennis match: determination, and fearlessness. The Urban Knights began their three match weekend when they faced Dixie State College on Friday morning. The ART U women came out eager for a re-match with the Red Storm after their heartbreaking defeat against them last year. The Urban Knights' hard work quickly paid off in the match. The women knew they could control this match, and they proved it by defeating Dixie with a final score of 8-1.
“The team had a brief meeting prior to the match. The look in their eyes in that meeting told me, 'Coach, say no more. We are ready',” exclaimed Head Coach Dave Allen. “We had lost to Dixie last year, and the team remembered that.”
ART U got things going right away in singles play when their No. 1 competitor, Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa, came away with a big victory over her opponent winning 6-1, 6-3. Laone "Lala" Botshoma stepped up in the No. 2 spot, and showed her true colors when she won her match in two sets with scores of, 7-5, 6-4. Amal Ben El Hadj kept things going for her team and defeated her Dixie State competitor, 6-0, 6-0.
The Urban Knights continued their prefect singles play with Diane Phan stepping into the No. 4 spot. She took her match with scores of 6-1, 6-1. Rounding out the singles competitions was Maria "Belen" Tenorio and Paola Correa Fe who easily defeated their Red Storm challengers with scores of 6-1, 6-1, and 6-3, 6-1 respectively.
“Each of our players is interesting and inter-changeable because they all bring something to the team in whatever position they're playing," said Allen. "I was really impressed with Belen Tenorio today. She had a very tough match against a strong freshman from Dixie State. It was a real battle, but she stayed focused and with her and Paola at five and six, those guys were really the backbone of our depth today.”
With the momentum going their way, ART U was determined to finish as strong as they had started. The team was relentless, and was not afraid to give everything they had.
Phukchampa and Botshoma again teamed up for doubles, and were a powerful duo as they defeated their opponents 8-4. Ben El Hadj and Diane Phan also teamed up and easily came away with a win, taking their set with a score of 8-1. In the last doubles set of the match, Correa Fe and Cecilia Hedin came in and played a very challenging set. After a hard fought battle, the two fell to their Dixie challengers 4-8.
That would be the only set that the Urban Knights would lose on the day. The fearlessness and determination that the women had coming into the match really paid off. At the end of the day, the Urban Knights came away with an 8-1 win over the Red Storm.
“I love how this core group is supporting each other,” added Coach Allen. “As we build into this season, the concept of 'teamwork' is propelling us forward. This is a fun, classy group of competitors, and I love coaching them. We keep learning every day. I am super proud of everyone's effort today. Way to go KNIGHTS!”
After the win, the Academy of Art University's record improves to 5-2 overall, while Dixie State College's record falls to 2-8 overall. The Knights continue their play in Utah when they face Mesa State tomorrow, March 5th. Opening serve is set for 3:00 PM at Bell Courts.
“This is an ongoing process and this team continues to get better and better with every match that they play," Coach Allen concluded. "I'm very excited for the direction that this group is going. This team is a reflection of the overall athletic department at our school: With each passing day, we're getting better and better.”
