Spring Break was not all fun for the women's tennis team, as it split four matches.
The Bulls (10-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) traveled to Florida for the first half of their four-match week and encountered their first losing streak of the season. Buffalo lost to Florida Atlantic (8-8, 0-2 Conference USA), 5-2, and followed with a 4-3 loss to Eastern Michigan (9-6, 2-0 MAC) in its first conference match of the season. The team bounced back with a win against Toledo (10-4, 1-1 MAC) Saturday, clinching its first MAC win of the season.
The Bulls started their trip with a commanding victory over Hillsdale (9-12, 8-6 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), sweeping the match 9-0. The win extended the Bulls' winning streak to eight games before their two-game slide.
Buffalo trailed for much for its March 16 match against the Owls. The team was unable to gain the doubles point and won only two of the six singles matches. Freshmen Margarita Kotok and Laura Holterbosch gained the only doubles win, while seniors Tanvi Shah and Marta Stoyanova earned singles points.
The Bulls left the warm Florida weather for Buffalo's frigid climate, only to lose their first MAC match to Eastern Michigan.
The conference opener came down to the last singles match. The Bulls earned the doubles point as Kotok and Holterbosch won their match, while seniors Anamaria Candanoza and Stoyanova clinched the point.
Even with the strong start, the Bulls found themselves down early to the Eagles as Buffalo lost its first two singles matches. Candanoza evened the match at 2-2, but the Bulls lost the next two to secure the victory for the Eagles.
With the sour taste of consecutive defeats lingering, the Bulls fought back to earn their first MAC win over Toledo and end their losing streak.
Shah and senior Miranda Podlas clinched the doubles point for the Bulls in the last match after Buffalo and Toledo split the first two. Singles play was back and forth as well, and the match came down to each team's No. 1 single players.
Shah dropped her first set 4-6 but rallied with a 6-3 second-set win. With the match on the line, Shah took control of the third set, winning 6-1 and sealing the win for the Bulls.
The Bulls now hold the best overall winning percentage out of the MAC teams but sit in a tie for fifth place in the conference standings with their 1-1 conference record.
The team will travel to Northern Illinois (5-7, 0-2 MAC) for its first MAC road match Saturday. The match will begin at 2 p.m.
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
