SPARKILL, N.Y. - - Valentina Ivankovic and Larize Nel won singles matches on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough as the Wilmington University women's tennis team fell to St. Thomas Aquinas, 5-2, at the Riley Family Tennis Courts.
The Wildcats are now 14-4 overall on the season.
The Spartans (11-5) jumped out and took the first two doubles match of the day to earn the point. Viktoriia Pavlovets and Kateryna Kryuchkova defeated Valentina Ivankovic and Fenna Swaan, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles before Elita Silins and Jemima Parkinson defeated Marley Trifunovic and Alva Norberg, 6-4, at No. 2 doubles to earn the point. Jess Purdy and Larize Nel didn't allow the Spartans to sweep the doubles however, defeating Amanda Kadiri and Samanta Villegas Robles, 7-5, at No. 3 doubles.
St. Thomas Aquinas was able to put the match away with the first three finishes of the singles events, not allowing the Wildcats a chance to get back into the match.
The Spartans won at No. 3 singles, 6-0 and 6-2, to make it 2-0, and the captured No. 1 singles, 7-6 (4), and 6-3, to make it a 3-0 match.
Amanda Kadiri clinched the match for the Spartans with a win at No. 2 singles, needing three sets to take care of Alva Norberg, 6-2, 4-6, and 6-4.
Valentina Ivankovic put the Wildcats on the board at No. 4 singles, defeating Samanta Villegas Robles, 4-6, 6-3, and 6-2, in comeback fashion. Marley Trifunovic tried to come back at No. 5 singles, but dropped the second set tiebreaker to fall in the match. Larize Nel closed out the day with a win at No. 6 singles for the Wildcats, defeating Kateryna Kryuchkova, 6-4 and 6-4, to settle the score, 5-2.
The Wildcats return home for one final match at the Delcastle Tennis Center on Monday. They welcome Adelphi to Wilmington for a 1:00 p.m. opening serve.