LAKELAND – Thirteenth-ranked New York Tech won two doubles matches Thursday and all three singles matches that were completed with Florida Southern picking up one point in doubles and one in singles as the Bears defeated the 45th-ranked Moccasins 5-2.
The Bears (16-1) were able to take a 2-1 lead into singles after the nation's 16th-ranked doubles team of Alessia Rossetti and Sara Burinato pulled out a 9-8 win over seniors Magda Riutort (Petra, Spain) and Olivia Spagnuolo (Andover, Mass.). It marked the second time this week the Moccasins' number one doubles team lost to a top-20 opponent by a 9-8 score.
The Moccasins (2-8) picked up points at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles by default, but still had a chance to win two others singles points when the match was stopped after New York Tech got its fifth point. Spagnuolo had dropped the first set at No. 2 singles 6-4 but was tied in the second one 3-3. Freshman Katie Taylor-Doran (Brisbane, Australia) was also in a battle at No. 4 singles where the first set went against her 6-4, but the second set stood at 6-5.
Florida Southern will return to Sunshine State Conference play in its next match, Saturday morning at 10 a.m. when it hosts #2 Barry.
