RESULTS (PDF)
 
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team kept its winning roll going on Wednesday afternoon when the Bombers returned to the courts at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus for a match against Dickinson College. The Bombers secured their third straight victory on the young season, racing out with a big performance in the singles session to win 5-4. With the triumph, Ithaca improved its record to 3-1 on the season.
 
Ithaca 5 – Dickinson 4
Doubles
1. Martine Fierro/Rachel Flame (DICKINSON) def. Jane Alkhazov/Sarah Sposito (IC) | 8-5
2. Hanna Butler/Lexi Epstein (DICKINSON) def. Rachel Kostival/Caroline Herz (IC) | 8-2
3. Olivia Shea/Katherine Pescinski (DICKINSON) def. Rel Klein/Sarah Kohberger (IC) | 8-7 (7-5)
 
Singles
1. Brianna Ruback (IC) def. Martine Fierro (DICKINSON) | 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
2. Alexandra Dyszewski (IC) def. Hanna Butler (DICKINSON) | 6-4, 6-4
3. Rebecca Andrews (IC) def. Katherine Pescinski (DICKINSON) | 6-1, 6-1
4. Zoe Davis (IC) def. Lexi Epstein (DICKINSON) | 6-1, 6-0
5. Olivia Shea (DICKINSON) def. Sara Steinberg (IC) | 6-1, 6-3
6. Caroline Herz (IC) wins by forfeit
 
Ithaca began the day with the singles session, which was a bit of a match-flow twist from the traditional format. The Bombers took command during the session, clinching the match with wins in four of the five contested matches on the day, while also picking up a team point with a received forfeit by Caroline Herz in the sixth slot that loomed large in the final score line.
 
Davis got the day started in the fourth-slot, as she dominated Dickinson's Lexi Epstein in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph. Fellow rookie Rebecca Andrews followed shortly thereafter with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Katherine Pescinski in the third slot. The two victories, combined with the forfeit in the sixth slot jumped IC ahead 3-0 with three matches left to finish in the single session.
 
Dickinson pulled back within 3-1 in the team race when Olivia Shea earned a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ithaca's Sara Steinberg in the fifth slot. However, IC's stalwarts had the response with two hard-earned wins in the Top-2 flights. Sophomore Alexandra Dyszewski earned crucial breaks in each set of a 6-4, 6-4 win over Hanna Butler. The result put the clinching point of the match resting on a first-singles clash between senior Brianna Ruback and Dickinson's Martine Fierro. The first set was a hard-fought series of counter punches for both netters, as Ruback outlasted Fierro in a 7-4 tiebreaker. Ithaca's senior carried the wave of momentum into the second set, triumphing in a 6-0 sweep in the second set to clinch the match for the Bombers.

The Bombers did some lineup shuffling during the doubles session with the match having already been decided. Unfortunately, the mass changes still had some quirks to work out for IC, as several Bombers knocked off some live-competition rust during the course of play. The Red Devils snatched wins at all three lineup slots to make the final margin of the day closer than it appeared at 5-4. The closest battle came at third-doubles, as sophomore Rel Klein and first-year Sarah Kohberger took matters to a close tiebreaker in an 8-7 (7-5) loss to Olivia Shea and Katherine Pescinski. The other matchups were not quite as close. Senior Jane Alkhazov and first-year Sarah Sposito dropped an 8-5 decision in the first slot, while first-years Rachel Kostival and Caroline Herz fell in an 8-2 defeat in the second slot.
 
Ithaca will conclude its Spring Break trip on Friday, March 13, when the Bombers face Bentley at 8:00 a.m.