San Rafael, CA -- The Urban Knights women's tennis team played their final matches of the fall tennis season last week at the second of two tournaments hosted by PacWest opponent Dominican. On the opening day, ART U won 15 matches and only lost four, which put them in prime position to take control of the second day. The Knights won both flights of doubles play, and were one singles match away from sweeping all four flights on on Saturday. 

"This tournament completed our fall competitive schedule," said head coach Jerry Peach. "We played more tennis than has ever been played in the fall by the women's tennis team.  Our lessons learned now have to begin making a difference, as we have until our first spring dual match to put our team in order."

The tournament started on Friday with the Urban Knights winning all four singles matches in the opening round. Daniela Amelunge Antelo defeated her opponent from Sonoma State in straight sets, while Amal Ben El Hadj had to battle to a 7-6 win in the second set to take her match. Michelle Dandik Zaale defeated Marissa Frazer from Dominican, and newcomer Nina Gajdosikova beat out her adversary from Holy Names to give the Knights a clean sweep in Flight A singles.

In Flight B, the Knights won three of four. Diana Juhasz (6-0, 6-0), Sarah Lemp (6-2, 6-0), and Jenny Johansson (6-0, 6-0) all took their matches in the first round, with only Lemp giving any quarter on the attack. Kinga Kurczbuch fell in a three set battle with Lauren Shafer of Sonoma State, taking it to the brink in a 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 battle.

In the second round, Amelunge Antelo and Gajdosikova were defeated in Flight A, leaving Ben El Hadj (6-2, 6-0) and Dandik (6-4, 1-6, 10-3) in the semifinals. Juhasz (6-0, 6-0) and Johansson (6-1, 6-2) also won their respective matches, putting them in the semifinals for Flight B. In doubles play, Dandik and Kurczbuch took care of the Sonoma State doubles team, while Amelunge Antelo and Gajdosikova dispatched the Holy Names doubles squad to make it into the semifinals. Johansson and Lemp brought down their opponents as well, and Ben El Hadj and Juhasz took apart the Dominican doubles team to advance in Flight B.

"One of our team goals this year is to consistently win 2 of 3 doubles matches each time we play a dual meet," said Peach. "With our doubles play today, we look closer to that goal than ever before."

On the second day, both Ben El Hadj and Dandik fell in Flight A singles, but Juhasz (6-2, 6-2) and Johansson (6-0, 6-0) took care of business in Flight B, which lead to an all ART U final that was not played. In Flight A doubles, Amelunge Antelo and Gajdosikova took down Dominican's pairing to advance to the finals and win 8-3 over the team from Cal State Stanislaus. Johansson and Lemp were defeated by Sonoma State's doubles team in Flight B, but Ben El Hadj and Juhasz made it to the finals and won out over the Seawolves for the doubles sweep.

"One goal of the Dominican tournament that was reached was winning both flights of doubles," said Peach. "It would have been nice to have all four teams in the finals, but we reached the final of Flight A with Daniela and Nina and Flight B with Amal and Diana. Both teams won their flight, so that goal was reached."

The Knights will now settle  in until their first matches in February with some great fall successes under their belt following the two tournaments at Dominican and the other at Cal State Los Angeles.

"Our team has good depth, better than ever before," said Peach. "Everyone has game. The girls on the team are close friends who support each other very well. If we do the right things, we can make positive things happen. At this time all signs point to the Urban Knights to be a strongly supportive group."