HAMDEN, CT — The Iona University women's tennis team made its first appearance at the Metro Conference Masters on Friday at the Quinnipiac Athletic & Recreation Center. The single-elimination event, now in its third year, features both singles and doubles competition. Junior Lara Lanno highlighted the opening day for the Maroon & Gold, earning a comeback victory to advance to the singles quarterfinals.

DAY ONE SUMMARY

Junior Garance Laforet opened the tournament for Iona in the second match of the day, falling to Mount St. Mary's Margherita Trolese, 6-0, 6-3.

Lanno followed in the round of 16 against No. 8 seed Anna Neyestani of Fairfield. Neyestani claimed the opening set, 6-1, and built a 3-0 advantage in the second before Lanno responded with six straight game wins to take the set, 6-3, and force a deciding 10-point tiebreaker. The junior completed the comeback in the tiebreaker to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals.

Doubles play followed with a pair of Iona first-year tandems competing in the round of 16. Freshmen Alexis Gard and Isabella Djokic fell to Siena's Zaara Omar and Andrea Vargas, 6-1. The rookie pairing of Saanvi Raniga and Chinonso Okpara dropped a 6-2 decision to Niagara's Larisa Kotok and Valeria Mora.

UP NEXT

Lanno will be the lone Gael remaining in the draw on day two of the Metro Masters, beginning with a quarterfinal matchup at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow Saturday, October 3.