The Florida Atlantic University women’s tennis team secured a 4-2 victory over the University of South Florida in Tampa on Sunday. The match marked the second non-conference contest in as many days for the Owls, who now hold a 4-6 record this season. USF falls to 3-7.
Senior Maya Shanok played a decisive role by clinching the match for FAU with a comeback win on court six, finishing 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. This result extends FAU’s winning streak against USF to three and brings their all-time series lead to 10-6.
Maria Alvarez, assistant coach for FAU women’s tennis, commented on the team’s performance: “Today, the team showed what they are made of. It’s never easy to compete the day after a tough loss, and even after falling short in doubles, they responded the right way. They stayed united, played with grit and determination, and fought for every point in singles. I’m very proud of the way they competed and the resilience they showed. A special shoutout to Maya Shanok for clinching the match. She never stopped believing, stayed composed under pressure, and stepped up when we needed it most.”
USF took an early lead by winning doubles matches on courts one and three. However, FAU responded during singles play. Junior Panna Bartha won her match on court one in straight sets (6-2, 6-2), while junior Malwina Rowinska evened the score with a three-set victory on court two (6-3, 5-7, 6-3). Redshirt junior Katrin Pavkova then gave FAU a lead with her own three-set win (7-6, 5-7, 6-2) on court four.
With play ongoing on courts five and six, Shanok secured the overall win for FAU by coming from behind in her singles match. Freshman Alexia Patru’s contest was left unfinished at 7-6 (13-11), 1-6, 5-5 (30-30).
FAU will return home for a seven-match homestand starting Monday, March 9 against Yale. The regular season concludes at FIU on April 11 before heading to the American Conference Championship at Rice from April 16 to April 19.
Fans can follow updates about FAU women’s tennis through their social media accounts @FAUWTennis on X and Instagram.
