Match Results
 
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — Proving it belongs among the nation's top-25 ranked teams, the No. 14 Academy of Art University women's tennis team beat its first nationally ranked opponent this season, topping No. 23 Sonoma State Friday on the road 6-3 in a full team effort.
 
ART U (2-0) took an early 2-1 advantage after the doubles competition thanks to a clutch tie-breaking victory at the No. 1 spot. The ART U duo of senior Nina Gajdosikova and junior Annika Schneider won their second No. 1 doubles match of the spring by beating Sonoma State's (3-3) Leire Martinez and Jacquelyn Ward. Martinez and Ward forced Gajdosikova and Schneider to a tiebreaker set after pushing the opening set to 8-all.
 
The Urban Knights team would prevail 7-4 in the tiebreaker, making Gajdosikova 2-0 this spring in tiebreakers after her tie-breaking singles victory Saturday at Dominican. Senior Jenny Johansson and junior Lucia Zavarcikova had already won their No. 2 doubles match earlier 8-3 over Kaitlyn Haithcock and Karlee Budge to give the Urban Knights the 2-1 edge heading to singles.
 
There, Martinez would get her revenge. Martinez beat the No. 43-ranked Gajdosikova 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 1 singles spot to move to 4-1 on the year for the Seawolves in that position. But Academy of Art got four singles victories to back Gajdosikova up.
 
The Urban Knights won the No. 2 through No. 4 spots, as well as a clean sweep by Johansson at No. 6, 6-0, 6-0 over Hillary Fazekas, to win 6-3. Zavarcikova beat Haithcock 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2, Schneider won 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 over Jordyn Kearney at No. 3 and junior Michelle Dandik Zaale defeated Karlee Budge 7-5, 6-1 at No. 4.
 
The Urban Knights play their first home match of the year at noon Sunday when they host No. 27 Cal State Stanislaus at the San Francisco Tennis Club.