OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's tennis team opened its 2018-19 season with a 6-1 loss at regional power NYIT on Saturday afternoon at the NYIT Tennis Courts.
New to the NCAA scoring format this year, the teams will play three doubles match for the chance to win one team point. Whichever team wins two doubles matches will earn their team a point. The Wildcats (0-1) captured No. 2 doubles, 6-3, but the Bears (4-0), won at No. 1 and No. 3 to take the doubles point, 1-0.
Two singles matches went to three sets, and Tess Paya highlighted the Wildcats singles play with a victory at No. 6 singles, but it was the Bears that took the other five to win the match, 6-1.
Paya defeated Antonella Lopez Alcerro, 6-3 and 6-2, for the lone Wildcat point at No. 6 singles. Begona Gomar forced a third set at No. 1 singles, winning the second set, 6-3, but fell in the deciding set, 6-2. Andrea Ribalta jumped out to a 1-0 lead at No. 5 singles, but the Bears Kaitlyn Byrnes fired back with a 6-2 victory in the second set and a 10-6 superset in the third to win the match.
The Wildcats step away from the team game for their next competition, as they head to Flushing Meadows next week to compete in the 2018 ITA East Regional Tournament. The bracket starts Friday and could run through Monday in New York.