WEST WINDSOR, N.J. -The Fairleigh Dickinson women's tennis team (8-6, 3-1 NEC) beat Saint Francis University (5-18, 1-4 NEC) 4-0 in the first round of the Northeast Conference Championship. The Knights earned the doubles point and clinched in singles play.   

The Knights started strong in doubles competition. In the No. 1 spot, junior Alena Kubanova and freshman Namie Isago took the match over Saint Francis, 6-4. Also defeating the Red Flash on court three were juniors Amina Lasheen and Shreya Gulia, 6-4. In the No. 2 spot, senior Aleksandra Vorozheikina and graduate student Marta Bettinelli's 6-5 battle against Anoek Pruijmboom and Romania Cutipa resulted in an unfinished match.   

To start singles play, Junior Gauri Bhagia, playing in the No. 6 spot, won by opponent retirement. Lasheen followed suit in the No. 3 spot with a 6-1, 6-1 win. Vorozheikina played in the No. 2 spot sweeping Fisher, 6-3, 6-1. At the No. 4 spot, Isago fell short in the first set against Bente Vandeputte, ending the match unfinished. Kubanova competed in the No. 1 spot against SFU'a Dominique Yeo, battling an unfinished three-set match. Playing in the No. 5 spot, Smriti Singh lost the first set 5-7, leaving the match unfinished.  

Next Up  
FDU will compete in the NEC Championship semifinals as they face Sacred Heart at 10 a.m. at the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. 

Box Score 
Doubles 
1. Kubanova/Isago (FDU) def. Yeo/Vinces (SFU) 6-4 
2. Vorozheikina/Bettinelli (FDU) unf. Proijboom/Cutipa (SFU) 6-3, 0-0 
3. Lasheen/Gulia (FDU) def. Vandeputte/Ma-Ajong (SFU) 6-4 

Singles 
1. Kubanova (FDU) unf. Yeo (SFU) 6-4, 3-2 
2. Vorozheikina (FDU) def. Ma-Ajong (SFU) 6-3, 6-1 
3. Lasheen (FDU) def. Pruijmboom (SFU) 6-1, 6-1  
4. Vandeputte (SFU) unf. Isago (FDU) 6-1, 2-5 
5. Cutipa (SFU) unf. Smriti (FDU) 7-5, 2-1 
6. Vinces (FDU) def. Bhagia (SHU) 1-0 

Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3); Singles (6, 3, 2)
 

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