ORLANDO, FLA. -- No. 18 UCF slipped past No. 24 Furman, 4-3, Saturday at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

The Knights (8-3) took two out of three doubles matches to win the opening point.  Senior Katarina Kozarov and junior Julia Adams, who rank 27th nationally, beat 60th-ranked Valeriya Zeleva and Ksenia Kunzetsova, 6-4, in the top-seeded contest, and the Knights' Rebeka Stolmar and Marie Mattel, who rank sixth nationally, evened the slate with a 6-2 victory over senior MaryAnn Rompf and junior Madison Dillon at flight two.  In the decisive number three match up, Nadja Bay Christians and Evgeniya Levashova outlasted sophomore Maggie Pate and freshman Ellie Schoppe, 7-6(4). 

In singles action, Dillon tied the score at 1-apiece with a 6-3, 6-3 advantage over 95th-ranked Levashova at flight three, then UCF won three-straight singles matches for the victory.  Zeleva, who is ranked 67th nationally, knocked off 15th-ranked Kozarov, 6-3, 6-4, at flight one, and 42nd ranked Stolmar held off Adams, 6-4, 7-6(2) at number two.  At flight four, Kunzetsova defeated Rompf, 6-2, 6-2.

The Paladins picked up wins in the final two singles matches.  Pate downed Bay Christians, 7-6(4), 5-7, 1-0(10), and Shoppe came from behind to beat 72nd-ranked Mattel, 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-5.

Furman (9-6, 1-0 SoCon) continues its road trip through Florida with a match at South Florida Monday at noon.  The Paladins have won eight out of their last ten matches, including victories over Alabama, 16th-ranked Wake Forest, No. 18 South Carolina, and Virginia Tech.

#18 UCF 4, #24 Furman 3

Singles competition

1. #67 Valeriya Zeleva (UCF) def. #15 Katarina Kozarov (FUR) 6-3, 6-4

2. #42 Rebeka Stolmar (UCF) def. Julia Adams (FUR) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)

3. Madison Dillon (FUR) def. #95 Evgeniya Levashova (UCF) 6-3, 6-3

4. Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF) def. MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) 6-2, 6-2

5. Maggie Pate (FUR) def. Nadja Bay Christians (UCF) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 1-0 (12-10)

6. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. #72 Marie Mattel (UCF) 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 7-5

Doubles competition

1. #27 Julia Adams/Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. #60 Ksenia Kuznetsova/Valeriya Zeleva (UCF) 6-4

2. #6 Rebeka Stolmar/Marie Mattel (UCF) def. Madison Dillon/MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) 6-2

3. Nadja Bay Christians/Evgeniya Levashova (UCF) def. Maggie Pate/Ellie Schoppe (FUR) 7-6 (7-4)

Match Notes: Furman 9-6; National ranking #24 • UCF 8-3; National ranking #18

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,1,3,2,5,6)