No. 25 Academy of Art vs. No. 22 Sonoma State Final Results
 
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – No. 25 Academy of Art received their first test of the 2017 season when they clashed with No. 22 Sonoma State on Sunday. After falling behind in doubles, the Urban Knights did not falter, taking five out of six singles matches and cruising to a 6-3 win over the Seawolves.
 
The competition began with three doubles matchups in which the Seawolves narrowly snuck away with two points. The No. 5-ranked duo sophomores Alma Thell-Lenntorp and Klara Thell-Lenntorp made quick work of their opponents in first doubles, taking the match by a score of 8-1. After the Knights surrendered a point in the third position, it was up to sophomore Monika Stanikova and senior Annika Schneider to take the final doubles point. Although the pair came close, they were narrowly defeated 9-7 by Sonoma State's Katherine Long and Hillary Fazekas.
 
As ART U headed into singles, the Urban Knights needed to come away with four wins out of six matches in order to complete the upset. Instead, the team nearly ran the table, winning five matchups to emerge victorious. The only point Academy of Art surrendered was in the first position as No. 9 ranked Jansyn Warren defeated Stanikova 6-3, 6-4. One of the highlights from other matches was Schneider in third singles. The Heidelberg, Germany native entered into a tiebreaker in the first set, but held on for a 7-6 (7-5) win and then swept the second, 6-0.

"I am very proud of the fight we had in singles," said head coach Nicole Briceno-Garzon. "We played with confidence and determination and that is what made the difference today."
 
The Urban Knights improve to 2-0 on the season after Sunday's win and will take the next five days to prepare for another tough opponent on February 17. Then, ART U will head to Division I, San Jose State for a Noon first serve.