July 28, 2011
Placing sixth in this year's Terrier Twelve is the Boston University women's tennis team holding off defeat with two thrilling 4-3 victories in the America East tournament that propelled the program to its 18th straight conference crown and 13th consecutive NCAA berth.
The famed 14th century author Geoffrey Chaucer once originated the phrase, "There is an end to everything, to good things as well."
Don't pass this old proverb along to the women, whose post-match celebration on the campus of Yale University was filled with jubilation and relief. The streak would not end on their watch. For those who may wonder, winning never gets old, especially when your back is against the wall.
In the 2010 championship, Petra Santini faced break point on serve in the third set but rallied to win the final three games and give BU a 4-3 victory over Binghamton. What makes this year's tournament more memorable though is the Terriers were unable to rely on their usually strong doubles play for points and instead had to win four of six singles matches in both the semifinals and finals to keep the streak alive.
Entering as the No. 2 seed for the second consecutive year, BU faced a tough Stony Brook squad in the semifinals. Leading the way was two-time America East Player of the Year Stefanie Nunic, who won 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the top singles spot. Sophomore Vivien Laszloffy and freshman Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis won in straight sets at the No. 2 and 5 slots, respectively, leaving the score at 3-3 with one match remaining.
Junior Monika Mical won a tiebreaker in the first set but only captured one game in the second set. The third set was a marathon, and with everyone in attendance watching, she came out the victor by winning four straight games for the 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4 win after trailing 4-2 in the third set.
The Terriers found themselves in an even deeper hole in the championship final when Binghamton's Anna Edelman out-dueled Nunic in a three-set classic to snap Nunic's 15-match win streak. The other women though picked up their effort to propel BU to victory.
Dealing with injuries all season, Laszloffy and Santini both won in straight sets at the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively. Sophomore Jessi Linero dropped just one game in a dominating 6-1, 6-0 performance at No. 6.
The streak seemed to be on life support, as Binghamton's Marina Bykovskaya won a second-set tiebreaker to push the match to a third set against freshman Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis. The Terrier had easily won the first set, 6-2, but had seemed to lose all the momentum in the second. Appearances proved to be deceiving, as Athanasiadis won the third set, 6-2, and sparked the enthusiastic response from the rest of her team.
The season included other highlights, such as BU earning a 4-3 victory over then-No. 64 Dartmouth and Nunic advancing to the quarterfinals of the ITA East Regional. She was recognized in May as the Northeast's Top Player to Watch for the upcoming season, as she will look to cap her collegiate career as one of the best ever to don the scarlet and white.
All of the women who competed in singles at the America East tournament will return, but fans need not worry. They will not be looking back, but rather forward.
The Terrier Twelve
No. 7 - Men's Crew Claims Program-Record Five Cups
No. 8 - Wrestling Post Best NCAA Finish in 14 Years
No. 9 - BU Claims League-Record 11th AE Commissioner's Cup
No. 10 - Setterlund Helps Terriers Earn AE Regular Season Title
No. 11 - Men's Soccer Captures AE Regular Season Title
No. 12 - Alford Named AE Player of the Year, Leads Women's Basketball to Title Game
A Letter from Athletic Director Mike Lynch
