LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire held serve during tough Saturday afternoon matches. Winning where they needed to, and securing a 4-3 home victory over #18 SCAD-Atlanta
After the home team secured the doubles point by taking two of the three match-ups, the lone two individuals nationally-ranked took center stage. No. 28 Marzano dropped the first set 7-6 in an 8-6 tiebreaker over Talbi. The top Fire player was unable to match Talbi's efforts falling 6-2 in set number two.
With the match tied at 2-2, SEU swept through flights four, five, and six to secure the win.
At the fourth spot, Neleah Neiberline and SCAD-Atlanta's Adrianna Kluska battled in a tight match, both decided by only two points going to the home competitor (7-5, 6-4).
Irene Parigi mimicked Marzano as the Fire player pulled out the first-set tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), over Stella De Vera. Parigi held on to her roll with a 6-0 second-set shutout.
Alessia Ciampi sealed the SEU victory when she eased past the Bees' Lauren Perez (6-1, 6-1) at sixth singles.
In second doubles, Ciampi and Picardi doubled up the team of Joann Leijten and Carmine Becoude by a 6-3 final. Parigi and Isabella Bolivar Garces equaled their teammates' score, 6-3, at third doubles over Nella Kusa and De Vera.
SCAD-Atlanta claimed the top doubles final when Talbi and Kluska defeated Neiberline/Marzano (6-3).
The Bees prevailed for their two team wins with long three-set finals at second and third singles. Anastasija Stojanovic lost the first set to Picardi (3-6) before she edged out the tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5), in the second and an 10-8 third set for the win.
Becoude posted the other SCAD-Atlanta three-set win over Bolivar Garces. Becoude pulled out the first-set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), but Bolivar Garces came back in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-4), in the second set. The Bees' third-singles player took the marathon third set by a 13-11 final.
SEU aims for another win over a top-ten ranked opponent when No. 6 Middle Georgia State comes to Lakeland on Monday in a 1 p.m. match.
