NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s tennis team (11-4) took down a feisty and competitive Brown (7-5) squad by a score of 5-2 on Thursday afternoon, after trailing 2-0 at one point early in the match. ODU is now on a five match winning streak and has claimed victory in eight of its last nine matches. Thursday’s action was held indoors at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
DID YOU KNOW?
Thursday’s match marked a mini-reunion between Brown’s head coach, Paul Wardlaw and ODU associate head coach Toni Bickford. Bickford played under Wardlaw all four seasons while attending Iowa. Bickford became the first four-time All-Big Ten honoree in the conference’s storied history. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1999, while leading the Hawkeyes to the Sweet Sixteen. Toni also earned two NCAA Tournament bids in doubles and as a senior and was the first ever Iowa women's tennis player to earn a trip to the NCAA singles tournament. After her playing days, Bickford spent two seasons under Wardlaw’s wing as an assistant coach.
The Bears started out the day by claiming the double’s point and taking a 1-0 advantage early in the match. Brown’s Ammu Mandalap edged out Adriana Rajkovic, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead.
No. 116 nationally ranked Borislava Botusharova put the Lady Monarchs on the scoreboard first with another straight set victory, this time over Dayna Lord (6-1, 7-5). Botusharova pushes her overall record to 14-1 and has won 12 matches in a row. Borislava has claimed victory in straight sets in 12 of her 14 wins.
Nikol Hristova tied the team score at 2-2, when she made quick work out of Brown’s Alyza Benotto (6-3, 6-1). Hristova advances her overall singles mark to 7-4 this year.
Marijana Novakovic gave Old Dominion a 3-2 advantage after taking down Nikita Uberoi in a back and forth three-setter (6-1, 3-6, 6-3). Novakovic has won eight of her last nine matches and possesses a 13-2 mark in singles play.
It was ODU’s Ivana Vukovic who clinched the win for the Lady Tennis Monarchs in dramatic come from behind fashion against Maddie Stearns (4-6, 6-1, 6-4). Vukovic is now 9-4 for the season.
Also winning in comeback fashion with all eyes on her court, was Ingrid Vojcinakova, who got the better of Brown’s Hannah Camhi (3-6, 6-3, 7-5) to lift Old Dominion to a 5-2 victory over the Bears.
THURSDAY’S SCOREBOARD: OLD DOMINION: 5 BROWN: 2
Doubles (order of finish: 2, 1)
1. Dayna Lord/Alyza Benotto (Brown) def. Borislava Botusharova/Nikol Hristova (ODU) 8-6
2. Hannah Camhi/Maddie Stearns (Brown) def. Marijana Novakovic/Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) 8-3
3. Ingrid Vojcinakova/Ivana Vukovic (ODU) dnf. Nikita Uberoi/Ammu Mandalap (Brown) 7-5
Singles (order of finish: 5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 3)
1. No. 116 Borislava Botusharova (ODU) def. Dayna Lord (Brown) 6-1. 7-5
2. Nikol Hristova (ODU) def. Alyza Benotto (Brown) 6-3, 6-1
3. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) def. Hannah Camhi (Brown) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
4. Marijana Novakovic (ODU) def. Nikita Uberoi (Brown) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
5. Ammu Mandalap (Brown) def. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) 2-6, 3-6
6. Ivana Vukovic (ODU) def. Maddie Stearns (Brown) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
NEXT UP FOR THE LADY MONARCHS
Old Dominion will remain at home for its next match, which will be against St. Johns on Saturday, March 28 at noon at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
MEET ST. JOHNS – Saturday, March 28 at NOON
St. Johns enters the week with a 9-5 overall record, but is just 2-3 in road matches while the Red Storm is 7-2 in matches played at home.
Anna Morozova is 11-2 in singles play and was just named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday.
St. Johns is currently on a two-match winning-streak after wins against Iowa State and Villanova.
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