Flushing, N.Y. - With the championship tied at four matches apiece, Madalina Florea (Galati, Romania) of NYIT took home a three set victory to clinch the program's first East Coast Conference Women's Tennis Championship. Second-seeded NYIT defeated top-seed and host Queens (N.Y.) 5-4.
NYIT (11-1) grabbed an early 2-1 lead after doubles play with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. All-ECC selections Sara Burinato (Barcelona, Spain) and Florea earned the first point of the championship with an 8-3 win over ECC Rookie of the Year Andrea Samson and Francesca Fanchin at second doubles. The Knights (10-1) then evened the score with an 8-5 win at third doubles. The Bears the one-point advantage heading in the singles play when ECC Player of the Year Nelly Ciolkowski (Neuilly-Plaisance, France) teamed with all-conference second team member Rocio Benavent (Valencia, Spain) to defeat Erick Goldsmith and Jennifer Fridman 8-3. The back and fourth rhythm would continue into singles competition.
Ciolkowski quickly gave NYIT a 3-1 advantage with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Goldsmith at first singles, but Samson responded with a flip flopped score of 6-2, 6-0 over Benavent at third singles. The Knights then knotted the match 3-3 when Fridman topped Gaby Rodriguez 6-2, 6-2 at fourth singles.
The score was tied for the final time at 4-4 after Burinato defeated Fanchin 6-3, 6-4 and Daniela Celi topped Valeria Savina (Vologda, Russia) 6-2, 7-5. Florea's final fifth singles match score was 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Provided by the NYIT Sports Information Department.
