Sizzling Dolphins Top Lightning

On an unseasonably warm fall day, the Lehman women's tennis team succumbed to both the heat and the play of the College of Staten Island Dolphins in dropping their CUNYAC match 8-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Lightning sophomore Ashley Cox was the lone winner on the day for Lehman, as she defeated CSI's Tara Colao 6-0, 10-5 in No. 6 singles play.

The remaining singles matches were a mixture of quality tennis and bad luck for Lehman. The Lightning's standout sophomore, Ravnit Bhatia, was turned away 6-1, 6-3 by CSI's Gabriella Villarreul in No. 1 action. In perhaps the best match of the day, No. 2s Ilona Stoyko and Natalee Smith battled to a 6-4, 6-4 result in favor of Stoyko. In No. 3 singles play, Qing Li toppled Dalia Rodriguez 6-1, 6-1.

The elements became a factor in No. 4 singles play as Lehman's Daraliz Collado was done in by the heat, forcing her to retire after losing the first set, 6-4, to Yelena Rasporskaya.

Number five singles featured a battle of sophomores, with CSI's Justine Kuna beating Alexandria Reel 6-2, 6-1.

The College of Staten Island was dominant in sweeping the doubles action. Villarruel and Stoyko teamed to blank Bhatia and Smith 8-0; Kuna and Rasporaskaya handled Reel and Cox 8-2; and Li and Colao downed newcomer Melissa Santander and Rodriguez 8-2.

With the loss the Lightning falls to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the CUNYAC while CSI improves its first place standing to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the CUNYAC.

Lehman next hits the courts on Monday afternoon when they welcome in St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn in a non-conference matchup. Start time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

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