BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's tennis team opened the 2002-03 campaign with a 6-1 loss to visiting Niagara University (1-0) Saturday afternoon at the UB Tennis Center.

Michaela Kollarova

Sophomore Michaela Kollarova (Bratislava, Slovak Republic/Sport Gymnasium), playing third singles, defeated Niagara's Colleen Willick in a tiebreaker for UB's lone point. Kollarova dropped the first set 6-4 before rallying to tie the match with a 6-4 win in the second set. The match then went to a 10-point tiebreaker to determine the winner with Kollarova taking the victory by a 10-4 score.

The Bulls' top-seeded doubles duo of Karen Maynard (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) and Kristen Ortman (Amherst, NY/Amherst) defeated Willick and Milena Matijevic 8-4. Niagara picked up the match's double's point as number two Mariam Al-Shikarch and Danielle Grenier defeated Kollarova and Helen Lynch (Hobart, Tasmania), 8-1 and Colleen Carey and Kendra Daigler downed Lisa Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) and Wendy Rose (Eden, NY/Eden), 8-3, at number three.

In the remaining singles action, UB's Maynard was downed by Matijevic, 6-3, 6-2 at number one. Ortman fell to Al-Shikarch at number two, 6-3, 6-2. Lynch was defeated by Grenier, 6-0, 6-1 at number four. At number five, Wittman and Carey split their sets, 6-0, 6-7, but Wittman fell in the tiebreaker, 10-5. UB's sixth-seed Rose dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision to Daigler.

The Bulls (0-1) travel to St. Bonaventure in their next action September 21 at 11:00 am.

Niagara 6, Buffalo 1

Singles

Milena Matievic (N) def. Karen Maynard (B), 6-3, 6-2.

Mariam Al-Shikarch (N) def. Kristen Ortman (B), 6-3, 6-2.

Michaela Kollarova (B) def. Colleen Willick (N), 4-6, 6-4 10-4.

Danielle Grenier (N) def. Helen Lynch (B), 6-0, 6-1.

Colleen Carey (N) def. Lisa Wittman (B), 6-0, 6-7, 10-5.

Kendra Daigler (N) def. Wendy Rose (B), 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles

Maynard-Ortman (B) def. Willick-Matijevic (N), 8-4.

Al-Shikarch-Grenier (N) def. Kollarova-Lynch (B), 8-1.

Carey-Daigler (N) def. Wittman-Rose (B), 8-3