Prior to the third round, no team had taken a bigger lead than two points as the contest was knotted at 3 during the first break and then at 6 after two rounds.
Nitros senior Emily Levin gave her squad the lead for good when she topped Tologs freshman Breanna Ryan, 6-0, which was followed by a 6-2 victory from Glendale sophomore Veronika Galstyan.
While Flintridge Sacred Heart’s top singles player, Camille Katz, responded with her own 6-1 victory to bring the score within 8-7, Glendale (1-1) responded with a clutch victory in doubles play.
The No. 3 team of Lilia Blkhoyan and Mary Pailevanian delivered a crucial 6-1 win over Flintridge Sacred Heart’s top twosome that put the Nitros back up by two points and allowed the sophomore squad of Imani Story and Danielle Fabian to clinch the win with a 6-2 victory.
“Singles played well, but doubles did even better,” said Levin, who finished 2-1. “I don’t want to say it was surprising, but overall we improved from summer.”
Doubles play proved key for the Nitros, who were 6-3, and also received two wins from their top pair of Amanda Lieu and Rouzana Hakobyan.
The most impressive doubles victory, though, may have been turned in by the Tologs freshman duo of Nicolette Harutunian and Holly MacVaugh, who rallied from a 5-3 deficit to Lieu and Hakobyan in the final set of the day and delivered a 7-5 victory.
The back-and-forth nature of Thursday’s match may have been best typified in the final singles and doubles set of the second round.
In singles action, Flintridge Sacred Heart’s No. 3 player, senior Alex Milat, hung with Levin and climbed within 5-4 before Levin won, 6-4.
