WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 7, 2026) – Rollins made history on Saturday afternoon with a dominant, 7-0 sweep over conference foe Tampa. The match marked the first spring contest at the newly constructed Tennis & Golf Center.
Saturday's weather proved to be a far cry from last weekend's chilly temperatures, which pushed back the home opener by six days. The Tars stayed ready, though, and that was very clear from the jump. All three doubles pairings grabbed 6-1 victories in short order.
With a 1-0 advantage in the match,
Lorin Tilipman secured the first singles point in the minimum number of games. Tilipman cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win before
Amina Taibi padded the lead. Taibi won from number two singles 6-1,6-1, wrapping things up quickly herself. A pair of newcomers snatched their first official W in a Rollins uniform for the fourth and fifth points of the match.
First, it was
Nisan Can sealing the overall match with a 6-2, 6-0 victory on court three. Then,
Alyssa Novoa picked up from where she left off in the fall. Novoa fought to a straight set win on court one, 6-4, 6-3. With the match decided, it was up to
Amina Abdulloeva and
Milla Falster to keep the momentum rolling, and they did just that.
First it was Abdulloeva, who won set number one with ease, 6-2. Things were tighter in a 7-6 second set, but the result was all the same. Falster, meanwhile, was in a battle. After dropping a tiebreaking first set 6-7, she evened the score with a 6-2 score in set number two. Finally, with the sweep on the line, Falster prevailed with a 10-7 outcome in the deciding set.
Head Coach
Tasi Purcell Batista was enthusiastic about Saturday's result saying, "I am incredibly proud of the team and the way they showed up today for our home opener and a tough conference matchup against Tampa."
"Competing in our final "first" spring match in our new home made the moment even more special, and we're excited and energized for what's ahead," she continued.
What lies ahead for the Tars in the immediate future is another conference match on Thursday. Florida Southern will pay a visit to Winter Park for a 3pm match start, and the ladies will look to keep building.
