SMITHFIELD, RI. -The Fairleigh Dickinson women's tennis team (2-6, 0-1 NEC) fell short to the Bryant Bulldogs (4-2, 2-0 NEC), 6-1, in the Northeast Conference opening match for the Knights at the Bryant Tennis Courts in Smithfield, RI., on Saturday night. 

Bryant earned the doubles point with a pair of quick wins at the No. 1 and No. 3. Junior Alena Kubanova and freshman Namie Isago won the sole doubles match over Bryan's Sarah Hickey and Manuela Gomez Estrada, 6-4. 

To start singles play, senior Smriti Singh dropped her match to Munson 6-3, 6-3, at No. 4. At the No. 3 spot, Kubanova dropped a 6-3, 6-2 contest to Leanne Kendall. Grad student Marta Bettinelli fell at No. 5, 6-4, 6-2, to Camila Baeza. Isago dropped a tough super tiebreaker contest to Olivia Rondini at the No. 6 spot, 7-5, 1-6, (5). Due to injury, Junior Shreya Gulia retired at 5-5 in the second set. Senior Aleksandra Vorozheikina earned the FDU's only win in singles with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 upset over Hickey at the No. 2 position, making the final score 6-1. 

Up next, the Knights will stay on the road and match up with Temple on Wednesday, March 9, at the Temple University Pavillion Tennis Courts in Philadelphia, PA. 

Box Score

Doubles 
1.Boru/Kendall (BRYANT) def. Bettinelli/Lasheen (FDU) 7-5 
2.Kubanova/Isago (FDU) def. Hickey/Gomez Estrada (BRYANT) 6-4 
3.Rondini/Munson (BRYANT) def. Vorozheikina/Bhagia (FDU) 6-1 

Singles 
1. Ada Boru (BRYANT) def. Shreya Gulia (FDU) 7-6 (7), 5-5 retired 
2. Aleksandra Vorozheikina (FDU) def. Sarah Hickey (BRYANT)  6-1, 3-6, 6-4 
3. Laenne Kendall (BRYANT) def. Alena Kubanova (FDU) 6-3, 6-2 
4. Caitlyn Munson (BRYANT) def. Smriti Singh (FDU) 6-3, 6-3 
5. Camila Baeza (BRYANT) def. Marta Bettinelli (FDU) 6-4, 6-4 
6. Olivia Rondini (BRYANT) def. Namie Isago (FDU) 5-7, 6-1, (5) 
 

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