DANBURY, Conn. - The Purchase College women's tennis team started the 2021 campaign on the right foot Friday afternoon, cruising to an 8-1 win over non-conference foe, Western Connecticut State University.

Box Score

The Panthers rolled from the onset Friday, easily taking all three doubles matchups to begin. In singles action, Kali Secrest (SO/Hartsdale, NY), led the way with a pair of 6-0 set wins.

Meanwhile, freshman Olivia Menchell (Weston, CT) began her collegiate career in glorious fashion, taking her contest, 6-0, 6-1. Elsewhere, the Panthers got a win from Nikita Kordzielewska (JR/Stepnica, Poland) at No. 1 singles by the score of 6-2, 6-4.

However, the toughest victory of the afternoon went to Isabel Biagiotti (SR/Highland Mills, NY) at No. 3 singles.

Biagiotti, who was playing in her first match since the 2019 season, started with a 6-4 set one victory, before dropping the second frame, 6-2. In the third and final set, the senior managed to eek out a hard-fought victory, as she took the frame by the mark of 10-8. 

With the win, the tennis team broke its streak of season-opening losses, which dated back seven seasons. Before the win Friday, the Panthers hadn't enjoyed a 1-0 mark to begin a year since 2014, when they topped Rutgers-Newark, 6-3.

The contest also marked the return to a traditional fall season for the Panthers, after they played a condensed, nontraditional campaign in April and May.

Up next for the women's tennis team is its home opener against Brooklyn College on September 14th at 3 p.m. Come out and cheer on your Panthers!