WOMEN'S TENNIS ADVANCES TO FIFTH PLACE MATCH AT UAAS

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The #30 Brandeis women's tennis team avenged an earlier loss to #29 NYU today as the Judges defeated the Violets, 7-2, in the consolation semifinals of the University Athletic Association tournament. The Judges will meet #20 Case Western Reserve in the fifth-place match.

Brandeis, which had lost to NYU, 5-4, on March 13 on the Violets' home turf, got off to a much better start in Florida, sweeping doubles action. NYU had won two of three in the previous meeting.

Sophomore Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs) and rookie Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) avenged a 9-8 loss in New York with an 8-2 win over Carmen Lai and Flyora Shiyanova at No. 1 doubles. Junior Charlotte Aaron (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia) and rookie Sophia He (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) also got back at their Violet counterparts at No. 2 with an 8-4 win over Vanessa Scott and Alice McGinty. Seniors Emily Eska (Princeton, Mass./Wachusett Regional) and Maya Vasser (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) defeated Laila El Dessouki and Madeline King at No. 3, 8-4, for the second time.

In singles action, NYU got on the board at No. 1, where Lai handed Cohen a 6-2, 6-0 loss. Brandeis got better results at No. 2 and 3 singles than they did in the previous meeting after swapping the two spots in the lineup. Leavitt defeated Shiyanova, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) at No. 2, while classmate Keren Khromchenko (Manalapan, N.J./Academy of Applied Arts and Sciences) topped Scott, 6-3, 6-4. Eska (6-4, 6-1) and Vasser (7-6 (8-6), 6-2) each completed a season sweep of their opponents at No. 5 and 6. He dropped a 6-3, 6-1, decision at No. 4.