"You've got to play the best to be the best."That truism has been around awhile, mainly because no one has ever disproved it.
Women's tennis coach
Ilene Weintraub certainly wouldn't want to. She demonstrated that when she scheduled her Lions for a match with Lynn University, one of the nation's premier Division II tennis powers.
They met Thursday, March 20, at the Fighting Knights' campus in Boca Raton, and Lynn triumphed, 9-0, extending its record to 14-2. But although the Lions lost, they fought very hard.
They battled Lynn in each of the three doubles matches, most strongly contesting second doubles, won by Katerina Jiskrova and Magdelena Ekert of Lynn, 8-5 over sophomore
Carling Donovan and first-year
Natalia Christenson.
When singles began, Lynn soon found themselves locked in tight matches in three contests. Junior
Nina Suda pushed two-time All-American Victoria Weltz to three sets at No. 1 singles, before yielding, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8). Alexandra Schunck defeated Steph Zilberman, but not before the Lion first-year forced the second set into a tiebreaker.
Carling Donovan also pushed her match, at third singles, to a tiebreaker.
At sixth singles, senior co-captain
Kim McMenamin made Christine Johnstone work for a 6-2, 7-5 triumph.
The Lions return to scenic Boca Raton Friday for a 1 p.m. match with Florida Atlantic.
The results:
#3 LYNN 9, COLUMBIA 0
Thursday, March 120, 2008
Boca Raton, Fla.
Doubles
1. Alexandra Schunk-Victoria Weltz, Lynn, def. Nina Suda-Stephanie Zilberman, 8-2
2. Katerina Jiskrova-Magdalena Ekert, Lynn, def. Carling Donovan-Natalia Christenson, 8-5
3. Alisson Siaci-Eleonora Ianozzi, Lynn, def. Linnae Goswami-Kim McMenamin, 8-2
Lynn wins the doubles point.
Singles
1. Weltz, Lynn, def. Suda, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8)
2. Schunck, Lynn, def. Zilberman, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Jiskrova, Lynn, def. Donovan, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Siaci, Lynn, def. Christenson, 6-1, 6-1
5. Ianozzi, Lynn, def. Goswami, 6-0, 6-0
6. Christine Johnstone, Lynn, def. McMenamin, 6-2, 7-5
RECORDS: Columbia 2-7, Lynn 14-2
