Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University women's tennis team kicked off their 2015 season just as they ended 2014 -- with a victory over cross-island rival LIU-Post, 5-1. Three Panther newcomers, playing their first match in Brown and Gold, proved key in the victory.

A pair of 8-2 wins in doubles helped put Adelphi in front. Elizabeth Kallenberg and Samantha Perri recorded their first win at No. 2 while Elena Nastasi and Rebecca Fakas teamed up for an identical score at No. 3. The Panthers nearly swept doubles play, as Stefani Lineva and Karen Serina played a tight match at top flight before falling to the senior tandem of Didi Fatchikova and Lucie Chrastecka in a tiebreak, 9-8(4).

Fakas, Perri and Nastasi were instrumental in the Panthers' clinching the win, as each claimed a victory in singles to clinch the match for Adelphi. Perri recorded a double bagel in her first collegiate match, blanking Laura Harwell at No. 6, while Fakas was tested in the second set before seeing off Heena Kewalramani, 6-0, 7-6(4). With Lineva leading at top flight and Kallenberg and Serina trailing at No. 2 and No. 3, it came down to freshman Nastasi, who clinched a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 win to give the Brown and Gold the match.

"We are happy to get our first win of the season," head coach Michael Misiti said. "The new players played really well, and while we have much to work on, we are very happy with the result."

Doubles
1. Didi Fatchikova/Lucie Chrastecka (LIUP) def. Stefani Lineva/Karen Serina (ADE) 9-8(4)
2. Elizabeth Kallenberg/Samantha Perri (ADE) def. Shanice Arthur/Heena Kewalramani (LIUP) 8-2
3. Elena Nastasi/Rebecca Fakas (ADE) def. Laura Harwell/Meagan Byrne (LIUP) 8-2

Singles
1. Stefani Lineva (ADE) vs. Didi Fatchikova (LIUP) 5-2, unfinished
2. Elizabeth Kallenberg (ADE) vs. Lucie Chrastecka (LIUP) 2-6, unfinished
3. Karen Serina (ADE) vs. Shanice Arthur (LIUP) 0-6, 0-3, unfinished
4. Rebecca Fakas (ADE) def. Heena Kewalramani (LIUP) 6-0, 7-6(4)
5. Elena Nastasi (ADE) def. Laura Harwell (LIUP) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Samantha Perri (ADE) def. Meagan Byrne (LIUP) 6-0, 6-0

The Panthers will return to action on Wednesday, September 9 when they host the Yellow Jackets of American Internatonal in their first Northeast-10 Conference match of the season at 3 pm.