PALMAS DEL MAR, PUERTO RICO - The LIU Brooklyn women's tennis team snapped a two-match losing streak in Puerto Rico Tuesday afternoon, with perfect timing. The Blackbirds won their first Northeast Conference match of the season, beating Bryant in thrilling fashion, 4-3. The Bulldogs took the early lead by winning the doubles point, but LIU rallied back to win the top four singles spots and clinch the victory.

The doubles point was a battle, with Bryant taking wins in the top two spots. The Bulldogs had a win in the No.2 spot, as Marion Boullion and Briana Leonard defeated junior Katya Yegoreychenko and freshman Isabella Wagener, 8-6. In the No.1 doubles spot, senior Lisa Maas and junior Sanne Louwers fell to the Bryant duo of Ryan Brown and Rosie Bird, 8-6.

LIU had a win in the No.3 spot, where junior Nancy Zonneveld and freshman Marine Dans defeated Stephanie Smyers and Devlin Ammedola in a tiebreaker, 8-7(3). With the doubles point, Bryant had a 1-0 advantage heading into singles.

The Bulldogs earned their second and third team points at the bottom of the lineup. At No.5 singles, Zonneveld lost a tough match to Leonard. After winning the first set, 6-3, Zonneveld was defeated by Leonard in the next two, 6-4, 6-3. And at No.6 singles, after beating Jenna LaBarre in the first set, 6-4, and dropping the second set in a tough 7-5 decision, Yegoreychenko retired due to injury, and the Bulldogs were up, 3-0.

But the Blackbirds had strong play, including three straight-set wins in the top four spots. Wagener defeated Ammendola handily at No.4 singles, 6-1, 6-4, while Dans also had a straight set win, beating Bird, 6-4, 6-3. Maas also won in two sets against Brown, beating her at No.2 singles, 7-6(3), 6-4.

Junior Sanne Louwers clinched the match in the No.1 singles spot, as she defeated Boullin in three sets. After dropping the first set 0-6, Louwers rallied back to take the second set 7-5, and shut out Boullin in the third set, 6-0, clinching the fourth point for LIU, and the team's first NEC win of the year.

The Blackbirds (2-5, 1-0 NEC) will play one more dual match in sunny Puerto Rico before returning to Brooklyn. Up next for LIU is BIG EAST foe Providence. The Blackbirds and the Friars will face off Thursday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m. 

LIU Brooklyn 4, Bryant 3

Doubles