ORLANDO, Fla. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team got back on the winning track on Monday afternoon when the team opened its spring break trip at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Seeing their first outside action of the spring, the Bombers bested Stevens in a close 5-4 battle improve their record to 2-3 on the young season.
 
Doubles
1. Julia Earl/Isabella Calandra (STEVENS) def. Kathryn Shaffer/Caroline Dunn (ITHACA)  | 9-8 (7-5)
2. Brianna Ruback/Taylor Ginestro (ITHACA) def. Sydney Zoretic/Gabriella Tantillo (STEVENS) | 8-2
3. Victoria Piskarev/Makenna Sargis (STEVENS) def. Sara Steinberg/Parley Hannan (ITHACA) | 8-4
Singles
1. Brianna Ruback (ITHACA) def. Julia Earl (STEVENS) | 6-1, 6-1
2. Kathryn Shaffer (ITHACA) def. Victoria Piskarev (STEVENS) | 6-1, 6-1
3. Caroline Dunn (ITHACA) def. Isabella Calandra (STEVENS) | 6-2, 6-4
4. Makenna Sargis (STEVENS) def. Taylor Ginestro (ITHACA) | 4-6, 6-3, 10-5
5. Sara Steinberg (ITHACA) def. Chelsea Braithwaite (STEVENS) | 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Joilin Gomez (STEVENS) def. Parley Hannan (ITHACA) | 6-4, 6-1
 
After a brief weather delay due to wet court conditions pushed play back to the early afternoon, the Sunshine State showed its true colors to allow Ithaca to get outside for the first time on the year. Despite not having a roof over their heads for the first time this spring, the beginning of the match followed a similar trend, as IC dug an early hole in the doubles session.
 
Although Ithaca scored the first team point of the tilt when sophomore Brianna Ruback and junior Taylor Ginestro combined for an 8-2 triumph over Sydney Zoretic and Gabriella Tantillo in the second-doubles matchup, the Ducks battled back with wins in the first- and third-tandems matches to take a 2-1 lead to singles.
 
Ithaca showed its resolve to battle back when the match turned to one-on-one play. It was junior Kathryn Shaffer and IC's sophomore, Ruback, who set the tone for the comeback bid. Each netter scored 6-1, 6-1 straight-sets wins to push Ithaca back into the lead at 3-2. Shaffer got things started when she bested Victoria Piskarev, while Ruback concluded her win over Julia Earl shortly after.
 
The lead was short-lived, as the Ducks got one back in the sixth-singles matchup. Sophomore newcomer Parley Hannan held her own against the Ducks Joilin Gomez in the opening set, but ultimately came up short in a 6-4 decision. Gomez pushed the pace in the second frame to win by a comfortable 6-1 margin to even the match at 3-3 with just three bouts remaining.
 
The Bombers made sure that the win would be theirs with wins in the third- and fifth-singles matchups to cement the win. First, junior Caroline Dunn rolled to a 6-2, 6-4 straight-sets triumph over Isabella Calandra in the third-flight bout. Freshman Sara Steinberg followed with the clinching point in a thrilling close battle against Chelsea Braithwaite. Steinberg took the opening set by a 6-4 margin, while she capped the win with a tie-breaker triumph in the second frame 7-6 (7-3).
 
Ginestro nearly made the final score 6-3, as she took the opening set against Stevens' Makenna Sargis in the fourth-singles match. Unfortunately, she was unable to hang onto the lead, as Sargis battled back in the second set, 6-3, before taking a third-set super-breaker 10-5 with the match already decided.
 
Ithaca returns to spring break action on Wednesday, March 14, when it faces Franklin & Marshall.