Box Score GREENVILLE, R.I. – The Long Island University women's tennis team opened Northeast Conference play with a narrow setback to Bryant University, 4-3 at Rally Point on Saturday, Feb. 29.
 
The Sharks earned the doubles point when the duo of Valentina Dancenco and Sofiya Kuzina earned a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles and Elinor Storkaas and Bianca Compuesto swept No. 2 doubles, 6-0. Dancenco and Kuzina improved to 7-1 in dual matches this season at the top doubles position.
 
Bryant earned its first point of the night at No. 5 singles as Leanne Kendall earned a 6-1, 6-2 win over Compuesto. The Sharks retook the lead when Kuzina earned a 6-3, 6-3 win against Sarah Hickey at No. 1 singles. Dancenco added to the lead at No. 2 singles with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Ada Boru.
 
Megan Tan helped spark a run for the Bulldogs with a straight set win at No. 4 singles (6-4, 6-3). Aleksi Gottlieb brought the match even with a three-set win against Veronika Koudelkova, who made her second appearance of the season. After dropping the opening set 6-3, Koudelkova came back to win the second set, 6-2. The momentum could not continue, however, as Gottlieb took the deciding set, 6-3.
 
With the match coming down to No. 3 singles, Storkaas battled Arianna Oropeza to a tiebreak in the opening set. Oropeza earned the win in the tiebreak, and carried on to win the second  set, 6-3, to clinch the match for Bryant.
 
LIU will remain in The Plantation State and take on the University of Rhode Island on Sunday with the first serve slated for 3:45 p.m. at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.