SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's tennis team won the top-four singles flights to overcome an early deficit and defeat St. Lawrence University, 5-4, in the team's 2021 season-opener on Saturday afternoon at the Union Tennis Courts.
 
Sophomore Sophie Brown was the lone double-winner of the day for Union (1-0, 1-0 Liberty League), earning a victory at both second singles and at second doubles alongside junior Dana D'Onofrio. Senior Megan Brown, sophomore Marilena Karadimou and first-year Gracie Nicol all picked up huge singles victory as well for the Dutchwomen.
 
St. Lawrence (1-1, 1-1 Liberty League) started out strong by taking the first two doubles matches, but Union picked up one point thanks to Brown and D'Onofrio's 8-2 win over Caitlyn Avery and Elena Styliades.
 
The match then turned to singles and Union turned up the intensity, pulling out several close contests to earn the win. Sophie Brown evened the score with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Catherine Gamble at second singles, followed soon after by Karadimou, who put Union ahead with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Lillian Sullivan at third singles. Nicol followed with the first victory of her collegiate career, outlasting Styliades in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win at the fourth flight.
 
Megan Brown then provided the final point needed for Union to emerge victorious, as the senior captain took out Caroline Reilly by a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 score at the top flight.
 
The Dutchwomen nearly picked up a sixth point on the day, but senior Samantha Siegel came up just short in a supertiebreaker, falling 4-6, 7-5, (10-6) to Avery at sixth singles.
 
Union will continue Liberty League play next Saturday at Rochester Institute of Technology beginning at 1 p.m.