MANCHESTER, N.H. (10/16/24) - The fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team came within one point of pulling off an upset on Wednesday afternoon in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. On the road at fourth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University, the Ravens were edged, 4-3, at Ouellette Stadium Tennis Courts.  

With the loss, Franklin Pierce concludes its season at 5-5, while SNHU improves to 8-3 and advances to meet top-seeded University of New Haven in the semifinal round on Friday.  

The Ravens were able to flip the doubles point in their favor to get things started. SNHU swept a 6-1 win at first doubles to open play, as Zuza Krygier and Dajana Abadzic bettered the Franklin Pierce duo of Victoria Azcona (Madrid, Spain) and Maria Paz Diaz Florentin (Asuncion, Paraguay).

Franklin Pierce answered with wins at third and second doubles to rally for the doubles point. At third doubles, Polina Georgieva (Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria) and Ana Munoz (Anzoategui, Venezuela) doubled up Katelyn Nichols and Nadya Lyekontseva, 6-1. At second doubles, Zoe Asterio-Correa (Toronto, Ontario) and Gabriela Yamate (Sao Paulo, Brazil) slipped past Lois Tsui and Justina Haver, 6-4.  

At the start of singles play, SNHU battled back to take a 2-1 lead, with a duo of straight-set victories. At six singles, Nichols brushed aside Munoz, 6-3, 6-1. At third singles, Tsui bested Azcona 6-3, 6-1.  

Pierce then rallied to draw things level at 2-2. At second singles, it was a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win for Asterio-Correa over Abadzic. However, Lyekntseva would answer with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Paz Diaz Florentin to put the Penmen up 3-2.  

Georgieva would continue her unbeaten streak at No. 1 singles as she battled with Haver to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 and tie the match at 3-3.  

The proceedings all conspired to leave the fate of the match hanging in the balance at fourth singles. Krygier was able to chalk up a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Yamate to send SNHU through to the semifinal.