ROME, Ga. --- University of St. Francis women's tennis player Anna Bintsarovskaya became the first-ever Fighting Saint to notch a win at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Cup, which features the top 16 players in the nation battling each other for the tournament crown.  Going up against three NAIA All-Americans over the three-day event, the junior came away with two victories among her three matches played from Thursday through Saturday.

A Third Team NAIA All-America pick herself in 2023-24 and a two-time Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Bintsarovskaya opened the tournament suffering her first defeat of the season on Thursday.  In that match, she dropped a 6-0, 6-2 decision to Lucy Carpenter, who was a NAIA First Team All-American one year ago as well as the Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Year at Loyola University of New Orleans.

Bintsarovskaya responded solidly over the next two days, beginning with a 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 win over Silva Avakian of Friends University (Kan.) on Friday.  The transfer from NCAA I Missouri State University was a NAIA Second Team All-America selection this past spring and repeated as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

On Saturday, Bintsarovskaya wrapped up tournament play with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) decision over Hanna Lindebloom of William Woods University (Mo.).  Like Carpenter, Lindebloom was a NAIA First Team All-America choice this past season.

The tournament concluded fall play for the Saints, who return to action for the main part of their season in the spring.

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