Women's Tennis to Begin AE Title Defense with Stony Brook Saturday
Terriers to face the Seawolves for the first time since last year's 4-3 thrilling semifinal win
Senior Monika Mical won the match-clinching point against Stony Brook in the 2011 AE Semifinals.

Senior Monika Mical won the match-clinching point against Stony Brook in the 2011 AE Semifinals.

April 27, 2012

America East Championship Central

BOSTON - Entering the America East Championship as the No. 1 seed, the Boston University women's tennis team will begin its title defense Saturday against No. 4 Stony Brook at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Action is slated to begin at 10 a.m.

The Terriers have won the last 18 conference tournaments and clinched the previous 13 NCAA berths, but last year proved to be quite challenging, as BU needed to win the semifinals and finals by a 4-3 margin.

In the 2011 America East semifinal, BU overcame being swept in doubles by the Seawolves with four victories in singles action. With Stony Brook earning the doubles point and two singles points, the match came down to Monika Mical at No. 4.

After winning the first set tiebreaker, she only captured one game in the second set. Facing a 4-2 deficit in the third, she rallied by winning the next four games for the 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4 victory to catapult the Terriers to the America East title match.

Plagued by injuries all season while facing a difficult schedule, the Terriers (6-13) have won just two of their last 15 matches this season but have faced seven ranked squads along the way. Playing in only five contests during the spring, two-time America East Player of the Year and last season's AE Championship Most Outstanding Player Stefanie Nunic is expected to return to the lineup and provide a lift to BU this weekend.

Junior Vivien Laszloffy represented BU at the top spot this season. She went 5-9 during the spring but has won three of her last four matches, including a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over then-No. 118 Maria Belaya from William & Mary back on April 14. Laszloffy, sophomore Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis and freshman Sami Lieb are tied this spring with seven victories apiece.


 

 

Named the AE tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2010, senior Petra Santini has dealt with injuries the last two seasons but has appeared in four singles matches in the month of April. She won her first three before having to retire early in the first set against VCU on April 15. With two weeks of rest, she will be ready to go.

Junior Jessi Linero went 6-10 in singles action but more importantly went 9-6 in the top doubles spot with Athanasiadis. Their highlight win this season came on March 8 against Yale. Facing the No. 22 doubles pair, Linero and Athanasiadis prevailed with an 8-5 win.

The Terriers face a Stony Brook squad that sits at 12-7 after storming past Albany, 4-1, on Friday afternoon in the first round of the tournament. The Seawolves will bring plenty of confidence to Saturday's contest having won six of their last seven matches.

The winner will face either No. 2 UMBC or No. 3 Binghamton on Sunday (April 29) at 11 a.m. with a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line.