Box Score Miami Gardens, Fla. (March 19, 2026) – Rollins picked up their tenth win of the season Thursday morning, handling St. Thomas University by a score of five matches to two. The road victory makes for a happy bus ride home as the Tars officially split the Spring Break trip.
The winds swirled as the Tars jostled with the Bobcats from the jump, each side trading blows to determine who would pull ahead with the doubles point. St. Thomas sent the first punch, nabbing court three's result, 6-2. But the visitors did not waver.
Nisan Can and
Lorin Tilipman extended play courtesy of their 6-3 win, while
Alyssa Novoa and
Amina Abdulloeva continued to deke it out from the middle. Ultimately, the pair showed their resolve, clinching the point in a narrow 6-4 victory and creating some momentum for singles action.
That spark no doubt lit a fire, especially for the doubles tandem that had just sealed the deal. Novoa was first, breezing through the headline court. The sophomore decided the match in 6-1,6-1 fashion, completing her perfect week on the solo courts. On Wednesday, Novoa moved up one spot to #7 nationally in the latest ITA singles rankings.
Her playing partner, Abdulloeva, put on a show in her own right. With a sequential success in straight sets, the fellow sophomore picked up her first road victory, extending the Rollins lead. The 6-2, 6-3 score makes it three of the last four matches for Abdulloeva, who is heating up heading into the heart of conference play.
With only one match left to put a stamp on things,
Nisan Can had no trouble steering the ship towards victorious waters. After a battle went her way in set one, Can quickly took the match with a 6-2 advantage in set two. With four match points on the board, Rollins had officially grabbed their tenth win on the season, doing so before the calendar flipped to April for the first time since 2018.
St. Thomas trimmed the deficit with a tight win on court six, but
Lorin Tilipman got the point back, prevailing in a winner-take-all third set win. Tilipman left no doubt, sweeping the deciding set for her second road win of the Spring campaign.
The Bobcats' Valeria Almeda outlasted
Milla Falster in a 10-6 tiebreak to conclude the match, but the Stabekk, Norway native continues to be a tough out for any opponent. Falster always fights, going into a tiebreak in three consecutive matches.
That was the team's MO today, fighting to bounce back after Tuesday's loss. Head Coach
Tasi Purcell Batista was pleased saying, "It's always good to get a win after a tough loss. The team did well to compete on a very windy day, starting with getting the doubles point and transitioning that energy into the singles."
The team's energy will transition to conference play next week. But first, reps to improve will take place.
"We look forward to getting back to practice at home after a few days down here in Miami," Coach Tasi continued.
Next week, Rollins is on the road again, this time heading to Saint Leo, and once more paying homage to the Willie Nelson hit. Match play will commence at 3pm from the Saint Leo Tennis Center.
The last time the Tars visited the Lions,
Milla Falster and current assistant
Katie Groves helped Rollins to a 4-3 win. Groves defeated St. Leo three times across her illustrious playing career in Winter Park. Head Coach
Tasi Purcell Batista, never lost to Thursday's opponent in her decorated playing career. The next chapter between the two conference foes will be written next week. Stay tuned on
Rollinssports.com.
