The Fairleigh Dickinson women’s tennis team won its first Northeast Conference championship since 1988, and the play of senior Irina Dementyeva is one of the major reasons why.
In the quarterfinals against in-state rival Monmouth on April 20, the Russian-born Dementyeva did not drop a game in her 6-0, 6-0 win over Dana Ferrari at No. 4 singles.
With a trip to the conference finals on the line, Dementyeva responded with a straight-set 7-6, 6-2 victory against LIU Brooklyn’s Aleksandra Pavlovic in another No. 4 singles match in the semifinals.
Dementyeva played her best when it mattered most beginning with a No.
1 doubles win in the NEC Championship match. Playing alongside junior Anna Rapoport, the duo beat Quinnipiac’s Rachel Cantor and Sarah Viebrock, 8-2. Then, with FDU leading 3-2, Dementyeva clinched the win with a 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 decision over the Bobcats’ Michelle Dassa to send the Knights to the NCAA Tournament.
