Results

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Nora Hill emerged from a three-set slugfest at #2 singles with the deciding point for the University of New England, sealing a thrilling 4-3 Conference of New England (CNE) women's tennis victory over the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at Blue Cyclone Complex on Saturday afternoon (Sep. 20).

The Nor'easters improve to 5-1 overall (1-1 CNE) and 4-0 at home with the triumph, while collecting the head-to-head against the Blue Jays (3-4, 1-1).

USJ got on the board first with the doubles point, thanks to wins at #1 and #3 before UNE's Alyssa Fritschka and Andie Lamontagne finished off a positive result at #2 doubles, 6-4. The visitors then went ahead, 2-0, after the #1 singles match was complete.

The Nor'easters answered with the next three singles matches to wrap up, leading off with a smooth Sydney Pelletier victory at #5 singles (6-1, 6-3). Lamontagne dropped the first three games at #3 but managed to turn things around to snag the first set, and captured the last five games to pull away in the second (7-5, 6-2). Zoe Lambke had a stretch of four in-a-row during the opening set, and polished off a win at #6 (6-4, 6-3).

Jillian Milo kept Saint Joseph alive (3-3 overall) by taking the final four games for a three-set decision versus Fritschka at #4 singles (6-4, 2-6, 6-3), leaving it all to be decided by the Hill and Gia Alvarez duel.

A break of serve and hold of serve in the middle of the first set gave Alvarez an edge (4-3) until the initial point of the tiebreaker at 6-all. Alvarez took the next three points, however, and ultimately claimed the last two for the tiebreak win (7-6 [7-5]). Hill was then down 0-3 in the second set before nearly breaking at-love to get on the board, sparking a string of five straight games for the home side. Alvarez got it back to 5-5 and returning at 0-30, but Hill tallied the next four points to go up, 6-5. At deuce on Alvarez's serve, Hill's short cross-court backhand was unreturnable (7-5) and the match was level at one set apiece.

When #4 singles finished, Hill and Alvarez were only two games into the third set (1-1), so for the last 31 minutes of the 2:33 marathon match, they were the only pair remaining. After four consecutive breaks of serve, Hill was the first one to hold and move ahead, 3-2. Following the changeover at 4-3 in favor of Hill, Alvarez held and then broke to flip the cushion. But then Hill climbed out of a 30-love returning spot with three winners to break back (5-5) [Watch 30-15 / Watch 30-30 / Watch 30-40], erased a 15-40 hole on her serve (6-5) [Watch 40-40], and never trailed to break Alvarez once again (7-5) -- capped by a forehand drop shot that Alvarez returned just a fraction too long [Watch 15-40, Match Point #1].

The Nor'easters will head to a league tilt at Colby-Sawyer College on Wednesday.