SAN FRANCISCO -- The Sonoma State women's tennis team took Academy of Art, the 14th-ranked team in the nation, to the edge, but couldn't quite pull off the upset in Sunday's 5-4 loss at the San Francisco Tennis Club.  The Seawolves, ranked 35th in the nation, fall to 14-6 this season and will play the final two games of the regular season at home, beginning with a Saturday matchup against Holy Names at 11:00 am before hosting Notre Dame de Namur in a rescheduled match next Monday (Apr. 14).  The Urban Knights improve to 13-2.

ART U was strong in doubles with Michelle Dandik Zaale teaming up with Annika Schneider to take care of Sheena Johnson and Karlee Budge 8-0 at No. 3.  Daniela Amelunge Antelo and Nina Gajdosikova fell at No. 1 doubles to Sara Celma and Kaitlyn Haithcock 8-3, but Lucia Zavarcikova and Jenny Johansson bounced back from their first loss of the year last week to beat Leire Martinez and Lauren Ha 8-6 to give the Knights the 2-1 advantage. 

The Seawolves had been coming on strong in the second half of the year and showed that in their singles play, pushing the Knights to the brink.  Zavarcikova fell to Martinez 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to briefly tie it up at 2-2, but the Urban Knights got two wins of their own to retake the lead. Amelunge defeated Budge 6-2, 6-3 at No. 5, and Johansson beat Ha 6-1, 6-3 shortly afterward to put ART U only one win away from the match victory.

However, Sonoma would not give up easy.  Celma, ranked eighth in the country in singles and first in the West Region, beat Gajdosikova, ranked 50th, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1 singles in a drawn out battle.  At No. 3, Dandik Zaale lost the first set to Haithcock, but came back to win the second, forcing a third set.  The third was a back and forth affair, but Haithcock emerged victorious to re-tie the match score at 4-4 with only one match remaining. 

The crowd gathered around the fourth singles court where ART U's Schneider was facing off against SSU's Johnson.  After persevering through a long first set that Schneider won 7-5, she let a 4-1 lead slip away as Johnson won 6-4 in the second.  In the tiebreaking third set, however, Schneider beat Johnson 6-1 in the final set and secure the 5-4 win for the Urban Knights.

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#14 Academy of Art University 5, #35 Sonoma State 4
Apr 06, 2014 at San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Tennis Club)

Singles competition
1. #8 Sara Celma (SSU) def. #50 Nina Gajdosikova (AAU-WT) 6-1, 6-3
2. Leire Martinez (SSU) def. Lucia Zavarcikova (AAU-WT) 6-2, 6-2
3. Kaitlyn Haithcock (SSU) def. Michelle Dandik (AAU-WT) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
4. Annika Schneider (AAU-WT) def. Sheena Johnson (SSU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
5. Daniela Amelunge (AAU-WT) def. Karlee Budge (SSU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jenny Johansson (AAU-WT) def. Lauren Ha (SSU) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Sara Celma/Kaitlyn Haithcock (SSU) def. Daniela Amelunge/Nina Gajdosikova (AAU-WT) 8-3
2. Lucia Zavarcikova/Jenny Johansson (AAU-WT) def. Leire Martinez/Lauren Ha (SSU) 8-6
3. Michelle Dandik/Annika Schneider (AAU-WT) def. Sheena Johnson/Karlee Budge (SSU) 8-0

Match Notes
Sonoma State 14-6; National ranking #35; Regional ranking #9
Academy of Art University 13-2; National ranking #14; Regional ranking #4
Official: Bonnie Middlebrook T-4:30 A-60