BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's tennis team rallied to come from behind and beat Villanova, 4-3 on Senior Day in McCarren Park. The Blackbirds honored seniors Anna Grigoryan, Clemence Krug and Malin Leysen before the match, and fittingly, it was Grigoryan's three-set victory in the No. 1 singles spot that clinched the win for LIU.
 
In doubles, the Blackbirds got on the board first, as juniors Jessica Brzozowska and Sasha Bollweg had a dominant 6-1 win in the No. 2 spot. But Villanova would even the score by taking a win in the No. 1 doubles spot, 6-3. The doubles point came down to the No. 3 match, where Leysen and Jennifer Gogova were battling Kaylan Rotman and Carina Burdick. The duos took the set to a tiebreaker, where the Wildcats eeked out the win, 10-4, taking the match, 7-6(4), and the doubles point.
 
With Villanova leading 1-0 heading into singles, the Blackbirds needed to get on the board. They did when junior Ana Leonte had a straight set win in the No. 5 spot, where she beat Olivia Knapp, 6-3, 6-2. Villanova would retake the lead, 2-1, with a win at No. 6 singles, but Leysen would tie it up again, beating her opponent at No. 4 singles, 7-5, 6-4.
 
With the match tied 2-2, it came down to the matches at the top of the lineup. Lindsey Evans gave the Wildcats a 3-2 lead with her win in the No. 2 singles spot, and Villanova was just one point from clinching the match win. But Sasha Bollweg pulled out a win at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 7-6(3), knotting the match score up, 3-3.
 
The win would eventually come down to the No. 1 singles spot, where Grigoryan was battling with Claudia Althans. Grigoryan had an early first set win, 6-2, but Althans had battled back to take the second set, 6-4, and the duo went to a decisive third set to determine the victors. And it was Grigoryan who would come out on top, winning set three, 6-2, to clinch her win in the No. 1 singles spot, and the team victory, 4-3.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds will take on local rivals Fordham, Friday, March 29 at 3 p.m. in the Bronx.
 
LIU Brooklyn 4, Villanova 3
 
Doubles  
1. Claudia Althans/Lindsey Evans (NOVA) def. Anna Grigoryan/Ana Leonte (LIU) 6-3
2. Jessica Brzozowska/Sasha Bollweg (LIU) def. Lexi Denucci/Olivia Kapp (NOVA) 6-1
3. Kaylan Rotman/Carina Burdick (NOVA) def. Malin Leysen/Jennifer Gogova (LIU) 7-6 (4)
 
Singles
1. Anna Grigoryan (LIU) def. Claudia Althans (NOVA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
2. Lindsey Evans (NOVA) def. Jessica Brzozowska (LIU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Sasha Bollweg (LIU) def. Kaylan Rotman (NOVA) 6-4, 7-6 (3)
4. Malin Leysen (LIU) def. Alexandra Vesikallio (NOVA) 7-5, 6-4
5. Ana Leonte (LIU) def. Olivia Kapp (NOVA) 6-3, 6-2
6. Carina Burdick (NOVA) def. Clemence Krug (LIU) 6-1, 6-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,6,4,2,3,1)