Nicolaides, Dafos get decisive points in 5-4 comeback win

Anya Nicolaides and Victoria Dafos rallied to post three-set wins at Nos. 3 and 4 singles on Tuesday as SBCC came back to defeat Irvine Valley 5-4 in a non-conference women's tennis match on the road.

The doubles were played first and Nicolaides/Dafos swept the No. 2 set, 8-0, but the Vaqueros (2-0) fell behind 2-1 when Jule Lauinger/Maddie Mitchell couldn't hold a 6-3 lead and lost 9-8 (7-3 in the tiebreaker).

Lauinger and Mitchell posted straight-set wins at Nos. 5 and 6 to pull the Vaqueros within one, 4-3.

Nicolaides, a freshman from South Pasadena, tied it with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback win at No. 3 singles. Dafos, a freshman from Spain, got the game-winning fifth point by rallying past Briggett Lee 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

The Vaqueros will travel to Riverside for a 2 p.m. match on Friday, then host San Diego City on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Singles
1. Sabrina Mendy, IVC, def. Jamaica Buyse 1-0, retired
2. Ashley Le, IVC, def. Joica Buyse 6-1, 6-4
3. Anya Nicolaides, SBCC, def. Alaina Spearman 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
4. Victoria Dafos, SBCC, def. Brigget Lee 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
5. Jule Lauinger, SBCC, def. Ariyana Ash 6-1, 6-1
6. Maddie Mitchell, SBCC, def. Collette Kelly 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. Mendy/Le, IVC, def. Buyse/Buyse 8-3
2. Nicolaides/Dafos, SBCC, def. Spearman/Kelly 8-0
3. Lee/Ash, IVC, def. Lauinger/Mitchell 9-8 (7-3)