Saint Leo, Fla. (March 25, 2026) – It wasn't easy, but the Tars marched into the Lions Den Wednesday and walked out victorious. After dropping a pair of narrow doubles matches, Rollins would not be denied, edging Saint Leo 4-3 behind top line wins and
Amina Abdulloeva's second set tiebreak win.
Things were tight from the get-go, but resilience from court two showed signs of things to come for the visitors. Down three games to love,
Amina Abdulloeva and
Alyssa Novoa stormed back. The sophomore standouts ended the match on a six games to one run, nabbing a 6-4 win from the middle. Unfortunately, the win by the twos would be the only match to go Rollins' way. Snug matches played out as 6-4 in Saint Leo's favor from the bookends, giving the home team the doubles decision.
In between duo and solo action, the team gathered to reset and refocus with renewed intentions to overcome the early setback. The visitors did just that and did so in a hurry. Novoa raced out to an early lead in her first set on the headline court. The Apopka native, behind the support of her parents amongst a crowd of numerous Saint Leo students, never looked back from her fast start. When it was all said and done, set one went Novoa's way, 6-4. The match was retired due to an opponent injury immediately following to officially put a stamp on things.
Sequentially,
Nisan Can got the job done in straight sets on court two. Navigating the crowd herself from the lead court on the other side of the complex's bleachers, Can never blinked. Her 6-3, 6-2 winner put the Tars ahead.
Then, playing on the court adjacent to the recent victor,
Lorin Tilipman inched Rollins one step closer to the sought after road win. Tilipman employed Novoa's strategy, jumping out to an early advantage and staving off Saint Leo's Sophia Johnson six games to four. Gathering that momentum, the court four leader finished the job in dominant fashion, 6-1.
With the first three singles matches going the way of the Tars, victory seemed imminent. From the moment that the team stepped on the bus today, they had one mission: a road victory. Saint Leo challenged this quest with matches going their way on courts three and six. Yet, both
Milla Falster and
Sydney Eckstein were valiant in defeat.
Eckstein, after dropping set number one, sent things into a winner-take-all situation with a 6-2 win in the next stanza. While neither match ended with the seniors in victory lane, Falster and Eckstein's resolve exemplifies the culture of the tight knit group. So too do the rallying cries of
Stella Fruijtier,
Annie Sallick and fellow senior
Amina Taibi. Watching from the sidelines, the trio alternated their cheers around the complex all match long, encouraging their teammates every step of the way. That encouragement proved crucial when things got tense on court five.
Amina Abdulloeva was never pitted against a deciding set. Yet, with the match hanging in the balance on her result, things certainly felt like make-or-break. Grabbing the first set, 6-2, Adbulloeva's advantage put the resilient sophomore in a good spot. But when she was faced with a 1-3 score in the tiebreaker in the second, things could have trended towards a all or nothting third. That is when the Bradenton native really got to demonstrate her poise. Behind her entire team, Abdulloeva surged, staying calm, showing her toughness, and getting the win.
The match point winner sent her teammates pouring onto the court, an exuberant burst of emotion fit with the team's accomplishment: a conference road win.
The result improves Rollins to 11-4 on the year and 5-1 in SSC play. Afterwards, with the help of sport administrator
Margie Sullivan, who doubles as a phenomenal photographer and rock-star supporter, Head Coach
Tasi Purcell Batista gathered her thoughts:
"Today was a really tough conference match on the road. But my team was committed to the win today and it showed, especially in singles - I'm so proud of them," Coach Tasi explained.
"We look forward to welcoming all of our alumni this weekend and celebrating college tennis by returning home after a few away matches."
Three consecutive away matches were good for the longest road stint the program has had absent from Winter Park in three seasons. Now, Rollins returns to the friendly confines of the Tennis & Golf Center for a date with #11 North Georgia.
Sunday's match will be featured on ITA's social media channels as part of the organizations first annual College Tennis Weekend. Stay tuned for more content and stay in the loop all season long at
Rollinsports.com.
