WALTHAM, Mass. – The visiting New York University women's tennis team prevailed in a pair of three-set matches that made the difference today as the Violets upset #36-ranked Brandeis, 5-4, at the Cordish Tennis Center. With the loss, the Judges fall to 3-8 on the season, while the Violets improve to 3-4.

Brandeis, which lost its third-straight match by a 5-4 score, opened strong with a 2-1 lead after doubles. First-years Cecilia Denis (Ardmore, Pa. / Lower Merion) and Anastasia Sia (Thessaloniki, Greece / Anatolia College) opened with an 8-2 win at #3 over Lynn Robinson and Phoebe Su. Two more rookies Sabrina Loui (Honolulu, Hawaii / Punahou School) and Bhakti Parwani (Ahmedabad, India/Kumkum School) made it 2-0 with an 8-3 win over Carol Plakk and Karina Jensrud at #1. NYU got on the board at #2 as Anastasia Balyk and Jimena Menendez defeated Brandeis's Ana Hatfield (Rockford, Ill. / Boylan Central Catholic) and Ella Subramanian (Parkland, Fla. / Laurel Springs), 8-4.

In singles action, NYU quickly took the lead through the first set of matches. Plakk defeated Parwani, 6-1, 6-0, at the top spot and Jensrud topped Loui, 6-3, 6-3, at #2 to put the Violets ahead. In a key three-setter at #3, Menendez held off Hatfield, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, to give the visitors a 4-2 lead.

Brandeis evened things up in the second round of singles. Sia cruised past Emily Baxter, 6-1, 6-2, and senior Olivia Howe (Cary, N.C. / Crossroads Flex) had little trouble with Robinson, 6-1, 6-1, at #6, setting the stage for the final match at #5.

Denis won the first set from Su, 6-2, but could not hold her off. Su got late breaks of serve in the second and third sets to come back for wins of 7-5, 6-3, clinching the victory for NYU.

Brandeis returns to action on Tuesday, April 5, with a road match at Tufts.