Results

Flushing, NY --- The #2 seeded Brooklyn College Women's Tennis team was upset in the semifinals of the 2012 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC)/Hospital For Special Surgery Women's Tennis Championships this afternoon at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, as the Bulldogs fell to the #3 seeded Dolphins of the College of Staten Island by a score of 5-2.

BC, who fell in the championship final a year ago against Hunter College, had its quest of returning to the final again this season cut short.

CSI took an early 2-1 advantage after doubles play, as the Dolphins took two of the three doubles flights. The Brooklyn tandem of sophomore Yuliya Orkis and junior Liana Rivkin breezed past the Staten Island duo of Ilona Stoyko and Jean Baak, 8-1, at #1 doubles to take the first win of the day. However, that would be the lone win in doubles for the Bulldogs, as the Dolphins took victories in both #2 and #3 doubles.

CSI's pairing of Sabrina Bragerton-Nasert and Mediha Mulla got the better of the BC team of senior Maria Sanz and junior Norma Lynn Chabbott, 8-4, at #2 doubles; while the Dolphins' pair of Jackie Jamaleddine and Jessica Barabatko was also victorious by an 8-4 margin over the Bulldogs' duo of junior Gianna Gelosi and sophomore Maryam Esperanza F. Razaz at #3 doubles.

Trailing 2-1, Brooklyn would tie the match at 2-2, as Orkis defeated Bragerton-Nasert, 6-0, 6-2, at #1 singles.

The Dolphins would regain control of the match taking #5 and #3 singles to go ahead 4-2, as Mulla downed junior Olayinka Sarayi, 6-1, 6-2, at #5 singles; while Baak would later finish off Sanz, 6-1, 6-1, at #3 singles.

In control of the match leading 4-2, CSI looked to complete the upset win, as Barabatko defeated Chabbott, 6-4, 7-5, at #4 singles to send the Dolphins to the CUNYAC Final on Wednesday, October 24th.

CSI will play reigning conference champion #1 seed Hunter College, who defeated #4 seed Baruch College, 5-3, in the other semifinal match today.

#2 singles and #6 singles would go unfinished.

“Obviously, we did not come close to achieving our goal of a championship run,” said Head Coach Ahmad Odetalla, who recently earned his second straight CUNYAC Coach of the Year award. “Unfortunately, we didn't come out to a good start today and CSI did an outstanding job of controlling the match.”

BC concludes the 2012 season with a 10-4 overall record, to go along with a 7-1 mark in conference play, which tied for first place in the CUNYAC. The Bulldogs will look to make another run at the CUNYAC championship in 2013, as Coach Odetalla will return seven of his 10 players from this season's team, including two-time CUNYAC Player of the Year Yuliya Orkis and two-time CUNYAC Second Team All-Star Gianna Gelosi.