COLUMBIA, Md. - University at Albany captured its first-ever America East women's tennis title on Sunday at Wilde Lake Tennis Club by knocking off four-time reigning league champion Stony Brook. The top-seeded Great Danes knocked off the second-seeded Seawolves, 4-2, in a hard-fought match.
Albany's Paulina Torres was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player after going 2-0 at No. 3 singles and 1-1 at top doubles.
Stony Brook (10-7) jumped out to a 1-0 advantage by taking the doubles point. The tandem of Yana Nikolaeva and Elizabeth Tsvetkov took the top doubles match, 6-2, over Albany's Torres and Ana Glumac, while Nadia Smergut and Becky Shtilkind won at third doubles, 6-2.
Albany (14-7) took the first three singles matches in straight sets to take a 3-1 lead. Glumac beat Louise Badoche, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 5 singles to set the tone, followed by Jovana Kenic's 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nikolaeva at top singles and Torres' 6-3, 6-3 win over Devanshi Bhimjiyani at No. 3.
The final three matches were all highly contested. Stony Brook's Nadia Smergut beat Dajana Ognjenovic 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 at No. 4 to cut Albany's lead to 3-2. Both No. 6 and No. 2 matches came down to the wire, but Isidora Pejovic edged out Shtilkind in a third-set tiebreak, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (6), to seal the title for Albany.
With the win, Albany earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship. The Great Danes will learn their draw on Tuesday during the NCAA selection show at 5 p.m. It will air on NCAA.com.
The Great Danes' Mireille Hermans earned the women's tennis Elite 18 Award for having the highest GPA amongst Albany and Stony Brook student-athletes. She is a senior with a 3.96 GPA in honors psychology.
America East Women's Tennis Championship
Championship Match
Albany 4, Stony Brook 2
Doubles:
1. Nikolaeva-Tsvetkov (SBU) def. Torres-Glumac (UA) 6-2
2. Sala-Pejovic (UA) led Bhimjiyani-Badoche (SBU) 5-3 (40-30)
3. Smergut-Shtilkind (SBU) def. Kenic-King (UA) 6-2 *
Order of finish: 1,3
*Clinched doubles point for
Singles:
1. Jovana Kenic (UA) def. Yana Nikolaeva (SBU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Alba Sala (UA) led Liz Tsvetkov (SBU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-5 (40-30), match was not completed
3. Paulina Torres (UA) def. Devanshi Bhimjiyani (SBU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Nadia Smergut (SBU) def. Dajana Ognjenovic (UA) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
5. Ana Glumac (UA) def. Louise Badoche (SBU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Isidora Pejovic (UA) def. Becky Shtilkind (SBU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (6) $
Order of finish: 5, 1, 3, 4, 6
$Clinched match for Albany