SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Competing for the first time since last March, Academy of Art women's tennis confidently defeated Dominican 6-1 at the Castellucci Family Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.

Though two of its three doubles teams were new combinations, the Urban Knights (1-0) were strong together as freshmen Erica Hellbe and Aitana Comas Adam swept Dominican's (1-1) Antoinette Schreiber and Nicole Bermudez 6-0 in the second position to start. In the third slot, freshmen Julia Ortega and Maria Vittoria Casucci finished next, bettering Kamar Alajeely and Haley Garcia 6-3. The doubles point was secured, but sophomores Sofia Ragona and Yun "Nicole" Shiau made ART U three of three as they defeated Amber Del Rosario and Zoe Coggins 7-5.

In singles, Shiau did not allow her opponent in the second position, Alajeely, to win a set in a 6-0, 6-0 rout while Ragona followed closely behind with a 6-1, 6-0 win in her #1 singles matchup versus Del Rosario. Casucci surrendered just two sets in topping Garcia 6-2, 6-0 at three and Hellbe then closed out her victory over Bermudez 6-1, 6-4 in the fifth spot.

Already having clinched the day's victory at that point, Academy of Art added one more singles win in the form of a 6-1, 6-1 result for Ortega versus Schreiber at six. In the fourth position, Comas Adam fought valiantly against Coggins, forcing a third set after falling 7-6 in the opener, but Dominican's lone win ended up being 7-6, 1-6, 10-6 in the end.

ART U matches up with NCAA Division I San Francisco this Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. inside the Olympic Club.