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Firebirds Edged by D’Youville in ECC Semifinal Thriller
Posted: Apr 24, 2026

Firebirds Edged by D’Youville in ECC Semifinal Thriller

Box Score
Team Stats
Doubles
  • Munisa Ashurbekova / Nele Herst def. Celia Bastin / Polina Zelentsova FINAL - UNFINISHED
  • Erika Ismailova / Mina Randjelovic def. Lina Benjelloun / Sofia Shaparenko 6-0
  • Maria Campisi / Yeli Prokopenko def. No player / No player FINAL - DEFAULT
Singles
  • Polina Zelentsova def. Munisa Ashurbekova 6-4, 6-4
  • Nele Herst def. Celia Bastin 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)
  • Lina Benjelloun def. Mina Randjelovic 6-4, 6-1
  • Erika Ismailova def. Sofia Shaparenko 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
  • Nadja Zmukic def. Maria Campisi 6-1, 6-1
  • Yeli Prokopenko def. No player FINAL - DEFAULT

FLUSHING, N.Y. – The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team saw its season come to a close in a tightly contested 4-3 loss to D'Youville in the East Coast Conference Semifinal at the USTA National Tennis Center.

The Firebirds battled throughout the match, rallying in singles play after dropping the doubles point. D'Youville secured an early advantage with wins at No. 2 doubles and by default at No. 3, while the No. 1 doubles match went unfinished.

UDC responded with a strong showing in singles, earning three victories across the lineup. Polina Zelentsova led the way at the No. 1 position with a straight-set win (6-4, 6-4), while Lina Benjelloun added a decisive 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 3. Nadja Zmukic continued her strong play with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 5.

The match ultimately came down to tightly contested battles at the remaining positions. Célia Bastin and Sofiia Shaparenko each pushed their matches to three sets at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, respectively, but D'Youville edged both contests in tiebreak fashion to secure the semifinal victory. 

UDC concludes its season with an 8-10 overall record.