WILMINGTON, Del. - - In a matchup between two of the top ranked teams in the East Region, Queens narrowly escaped the Wilmington University tennis team, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at the Delcastle Tennis Center.
According to the latest ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, Queens is the highest ranked team from the East at No. 28, followed closely by St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 31, Adelphi at No. 33, and Wilmington at No. 34.
On Saturday, the Knights (11-3) ended up taking the doubles point from the Wildcats (13-3), which ultimately decided the match as the teams split the six singles matches.
The Wildcats' Alva Norberg and Marley Trifunovic put the Wildcats in front in the doubles matches, winning at No. 3, 6-0. Queens came back to even the series with a win at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, and then took the rubber match at No. 1 singles, 7-5, to earn the point.
Queens took a 2-0 lead with a win at No. 2 singles, 6-4 and 6-4, but then the Wildcats took the next two matches to draw even. Valentina Ivankovic won at No. 3 singles, 6-4 and 6-4, and then Jess Purdy captured No. 1 singles with a 7-6 (7-5) and 6-3 sweep, tying the match at 2-2.
Queens took the 3-2 advantage with a three-set victory at No. 4 singles, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, and 6-2, but the Wildcats were once again able to draw even with the Knights. Larize Nel kept the Wildcats in the match with a 6-4 and 6-2 victory at No. 6, tying the match, 3-3.
Marley Trifunovic took the first set at No. 5 singles, 6-2, but the Knights' Saga Berggren stormed back to win the second set, 6-4, and the third set, 6-1, to steal the matchup and sealing the 4-3 victory for the Knights.
The Wildcats continue their tough stretch of spring matches next week, as they travel to ITA ranked No. 41 District of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. They also play the aforementioned St. Thomas Aquinas and Adelphi later this month. Tuesday's match at UDC begins at 2:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C.