BOCA RATON, Fla. – Flexing its muscles as the No. 40 team in the country, Florida International owned the doubles point in Friday's non-conference match on its way to dealing the University of North Florida women's tennis team a 5-2 season-ending loss.
Despite the loss, the Lady Ospreys enjoyed an incredibly successful season, finishing with a 16-5 overall record and an 8-2 mark in Atlantic Sun Action. UNF also boasted two A-Sun Players of the Week and a nationally-ranked doubles pair in sophomores Lauren Holton and Victoria Krook. Currently holding a No. 67 ranking, Holton and Krook suffered just their second loss of the season for an 18-2 mark. The pair fell 8-3 against the Panthers (14-5) while senior Ina Durcakova and freshman Nikita van Lierop experienced the same margin of defeat at No. 2. UNF avoided the sweep with junior Raquel Castro and freshman Aline Berkenbrock sealing an 8-7 win at the top doubles position. FIU secured straight-set victories at Nos. 1 and 4 to go up three points to none, but Castro, who leads the A-Sun in No. 2 singles wins, kept the Lady Ospreys alive with a 6-2, 6-2 win in the second position. However, the Panthers put the match away with a win at the third slot.
Holton emerged with a win in a closely battled No. 6 match, winning the first set 6-4 and the second 7-5. She upped her record to 16-3 this season while Krook dropped only her second individual decision of the season. Krook played the lone three-set match of the day, falling in the first before taking the second 6-4. However, FIU's Priscilla Castillo grabbed a 10-5 super tiebreaker win.
UNF racked up a 51-9 record in doubles action this season and scored a 81-36 mark in singles play. Castro finished the season by winning nine of her last 10 matches, and Krook opened the season with 16 straight wins. Holton and Krook climbed as high as No. 64 earlier this season.
