Box Score (PDF)
 
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team kicked off its Spring Break week in the Sunshine State on Monday morning when the Bombers faced the Dickinson in the first of three dual matches over the next four days. Although IC turned in its most encouraging outing of the young season, the team was unable to break the ice in the win column in falling in a close 5-4 defeat. The loss drops Ithaca's record to 0-3 on the year.
 
Injuries again played a factor for IC, as the Bombers' depleted lineup was only able to field five healthy bodies. Unfortunately, that prompted Ithaca having to concede matchups at third-doubles and sixth-singles, which had a big impact in the final result. Of the matches that were played, Ithaca turned in its best outing of the year, scoring two team points in doubles and taking two additional matchups in singles play.
 
Doubles
1. Brianna Ruback/Caroline Dunn (ITHACA) def. Rachel Flame/Olivia Shea (DICKINSON) | 8-2
2. Sara Steinberg/Jane Alkhazov (ITHACA) def. Emily Sprague/Lexi Epstein (DICKINSON) | 8-5
3. Hanna Butler/Neve Brennan (DICKINSON) win by default
 
Singles
1. Brianna Ruback (ITHACA) def. Rachel Flame (DICKINSON) | 6-2, 6-1
2. Caroline Dunn (ITHACA) def. Lexi Epstein (DICKINSON) | 7-5, 6-4
3. Hanna Butler (DICKINSON) def. Sara Steinberg (ITHACA) | 6-3, 6-2
4. Lydia Fox (DICKINSON) def. Jane Alkhazov (ITHACA) | 6-0, 6-1
5. Olivia Shea (DICKINSON) def. Rel Klein (ITHACA) | 7-6 (7-1), 2-6, 10-7
6. Elisa Varlotta (DICKINSON) win by default
 
Ithaca began the day looking to dig out of a 1-0 deficit after the concession at third-doubles. The Bombers turned in their best outing of the year in doubles play, scoring two victories to head to the singles session with a 2-1 lead.
 
IC opted to put Ruback and Dunn back together on the top pairing with the absence of senior Kathryn Shaffer in today's match. The duo played excellently together, easily racing past Dickinson's tandem of Rachel Flame and Olivia Shea by an 8-2 margin. The second-doubles pairing of Steinberg and Alkhazov was equally impressive in rolling to an 8-5 triumph over Emily Sprague and Lexi Epstein. It was the grouping's first victory together as a doubles pairing.
 
The IC lead was short-lived, as Dickinson immediately had the score leveled with the concession at sixth-singles, tying the match at 2-2. The two sides traded points in the first four singles matchups, as wins by Ruback and Dunn at first-singles and second-singles, respectively, answered defeats to Steinberg and Alkhazov at third-singles and fourth-singles.
 
The matchup came down to first-year player Rel Klein at fifth-singles and it was certainly the battle of the day against Dickinson's Olivia Shea. Not much separated the two throughout the day, as Shea took the opening set in a tiebreaker, earning the decisive point with a 7-1 win in the breaker. Klein responded with a 6-2 win in the second set to force a decisive third. The final frame was played as a super-breaker, which Shea narrowly won by a 10-7 margin to clinch the decisive point.
 
Ithaca is back in action tomorrow when it faces Franklin & Marshall.