Bulldogs fall to Bobcats 6-1 on Wednesday, bounce back against Blackbirds, 6-1

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After dropping to Quinnipiac, 6-1, on Wednesday, the Bryant University women's tennis team won their second-straight Northeast Conference match, defeating LIU Brooklyn, 6-1, in Queens on Saturday night.

Four of the Bulldogs' (4-6, 2-0 NEC) six singles matchups went into three games with all but one favoring the Bobcats (8-9, 3-0 MAAC). Sophomore Nina Luiggi (Nottingham, England) found success at No. 4 singles, taking down Jennifer Lu in three games, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (11-9).

After losing the first set in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (3), junior Ryan Brown's (Austin, Texas) 6-2 victory in the second game forced Sophie Dzulynsky into a third, but the Bobcat was able to rally, 7-6 (5), in the second tiebreaker of the match.

Sophomore Linnea Sjoberg (Stockholm, Sweden) saw a similar scenario in No. 2 singles, as she ultimately fell, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1, to Rachel Horton. Junior Marion Bouillin (San Diego, Calif.) also lost the tiebreak in her first set, 7-6 (8-6), against Sydney Young, but bounced back in the second, 6-4, before falling to Young, 6-4, in game three.

The Bobcats swept the Bulldogs in doubles play, but not without a fight from the Black and Gold, as Horton and Young just squeaked by Brown and Bouillion, 7-5, and Proyfon Lohaphaison and Alex Mircea defeated sophomore Stefanie Arroyo (Gurabo, Puerto Rico) and Sjoberg, 7-6 (8-6), in the tiebreaker.

"We were right there in every match," said head coach Barbara Cilli. "The girls fought hard, really hard".

The Bulldogs moved to 2-0 in conference play, after a repeat matchup of last year's league final favored Bryant again, as they trumped the Blackbirds, 6-1, in Queens.

 LIU Brooklyn earned their only point of the day in the No. 1 singles spot, as Anna Grigoryan took down Brown, 7-6 (5), 6-2. Sjoberg moved to 2-0 against NEC competitors in singles play, as she defeated Caoline Koenigsfeldt, 6-2, 6-2. Bouillin and Campfield also remain unbeaten in league singles, moving past their opponents in two games, respectively.

The Bulldogs earned the doubles point, winning 2-of-3 matches, as the Bryant twosome of Campfield and Luiggi won, 7-5, in No. 2 doubles and Sjoberg and Arroyo were successful at the No. 3 doubles spot, winning 6-4.   

"The victory was a major team effort," said Cilli. "The match wasn't finished until 12:30 a.m. and our mental performance well into the night proved to be a key factor in this match".