Garden City, N.Y. - In a rematch of the Northeast-10 Championship match from a season ago, the Adelphi University women's tennis team defeated the Merrimack College Warriors by a 6-3 scoreline on Sunday. The Panthers, who finished runner-up to the Warriors in the conference championship match a season ago, took the win in a back-and-forth affair courtesy of three points from Charlotte Moreau and Katarina Barborikova. With the victory, the Panthers improve to 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the conference, while the Warriors drop to 4-2 overall and in conference play.

Barborikova and Moreau, who had lost their last two matches in doubles, rebounded in a big way against the Warriors. The top flight pairing did not drop a game en route to defeating the sister tandem of Grace and Shakee Messina, 8-0. While Merrimack pulled level with a win at No. 3, the freshmen tandem of Stefani Lineva and Rebecca Fakas once against brought the goods for the Adelphi. The duo ran their undefeated streak to eight, as they edged the senior/freshman tandem of Chealsey Giatrelis and Danielle Dunn, 9-8(7-5).

With two set wins coming for Joanna Haich at No. 4 and Merrimack's Grace Messina over Lineva, the Panthers led 3-2 at the midway point of the match. It was then that Barborikova and Moreau stepped up and clinched the match for Adelphi, as each rallied from a set down against opponents who had given them tough matches in last year's NE-10 Championship. Moreau defeated the elder Messina sister, Shakee, at No. 2 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 while Barborikova rallied after losing a first set tiebreak to see off Giatrelis, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5. Fakas gave the Panthers their sixth point with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5 to put the finishing touches on the Brown and Gold win. 

Doubles
1. Moreau/Barborikova (ADE) def. Messina/Messina (MER) 8-0
2. Fakas/Lineva (ADE) def. Giatrelis/Dunn (MER) 9-8(7-5)
3. Muller/Blair (MER) def. Haich/Bernal (ADE) 8-3

Singles
1. Grace Messina (MER) def. Stefani Lineva (ADE) 6-4, 6-2
2. Charlotte Moreau (ADE) def. Shakee Messina (MER) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
3. Katarina Barborikova (ADE) def. Chealsey Giatrelis (MER) 6-7, 6-1, 7-5
4. Joanna Haich (ADE) def. Danielle Dunn (MER) 6-0, 6-1
5. Rebecca Fakas (ADE) def. Rachel Muller (MER) 6-2, 6-2
6. Mackenzie Blair (MER) def. Bianca Bernal (ADE) 6-2, 6-1

" I am very proud of the ladies today," Head Coach Michael Misiti stated.  "The team pulled together and got stronger as the match went on. Merrimack have a lot of experience and a great #1 singles player. I am pleased with the effort and mental strength we showed to get through this tough match."

The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Brookville, N.Y. to take on local rival LIU-Post in a non-conference match.