WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 17, 2026) – Rollins extended their unbeaten streak to three matches on Tuesday night, defeating #4 ranked Flagler in the process. The Tars secured the doubles point and never looked back, taking the overall match by a score of 5-2.
Upset? That's what the rankings would like for you to believe. But when the Flagler College Saints came marching into Winter Park on Tuesday afternoon, the Tars weren't concerned by the digit next to their opponent's name. Instead, Rollins focused their attention on winning the doubles point, something that had eluded them in last Thursday's victory over Florida Southern. That mindset worked as they did just that behind doubles pairings
Nisan Can/
Milla Falster and
Amina Abdulloeva/
Lorin Tilipman.
It was Can and Falster that struck first, cruising to a 6-1 victory to put Rollins in the driver's seat to grab an early lead. After Flagler responded on court one, it was up to Abdulloeva and Tilipman to bring it home. After falling behind early, the number three pairing clawed back, showing resolve en route to a 6-4 victory and 1-0 advantage on the overall match scoreboard.
Then it was
Alyssa Novoa's time to shine, putting distance between the Saints and Tars with an outstanding performance. Novoa locked up a 6-1, 6-3 win for her second, straight-set victory on the young season from line one. Nisan "Altima" Can wasted no time either. Playing on court three, Can mimicked her teammate, snagging a 6-1, 6-4 win. With four matches still to be completed, the Tars were in prime position to put a wrap on another ranked home victory.
Milla Falster understood the assignment. Battling her way to the third set, Falster put an end to any comeback hopes the visitors had with a 6-4 clincher in set three on court number four. In all, Falster grabbed her second win on the season going 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
The Saints did not quit, grabbing a win on court five to get on the board. It was Sofia Balsera over
Lorin Tilipman, who won the first set, but just couldn't quite win the tiebreaker in the match deciding set three. Tilipman's doubles partner,
Amina Abdulloeva also fell in a hard-fought three set match: 5-7, 6-2, 3-6. Still, the duo has nothing to hold their heads about, especially given their performance together which gave Rollins an early lead.
With the match already put away,
Amina Taibi would not be denied on singles court two. The senior played an absolute thriller in her first set, winning 9-7 in a tiebreaker over Flagler's Elena Ondobo. Taibi showcased her endurance in the second set, this time to the tune of a 6-3 score. The veteran's poise gave the Tars their fifth and final win for an overall match score of 5-2.
Head Coach
Tasi Purcell Batista praised her group's resolve to pull things out against a talented opponent.
"We're always ready for a tough challenge against Flagler, and their team competed at a high level with strong performances," she remarked.
"It was good to start the day off by getting the doubles point and fighting hard in every singles match from top to bottom of the lineup. They showed tons of grit and resilience today and I couldn't be prouder of all their efforts – both on and off the court."
Rollins will be right back in action on Friday afternoon at 3pm when they play host to Eckerd. Come out to support your Tars and all the ladies in tennis with "Ladies Tennis Recognition Day!"
