By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - The Bulls turned back the clock to get to 2-0 this week.

The USF women's tennis team rallied from a 3-1 deficit Friday at No. 22 Florida State and handed the Seminoles a 4-3 loss after top singles player Ecaterina Vasenina had to wait a while to seal the match.

"It reminded me of the Big East championships a little bit," head coach Agustin Moreno said.

USF trailed FSU, 3-1, and was down a set in two singles matches - just like the 2007 conference title win over Notre Dame - when the Bulls started getting tough.

Fanny Fracassi dug deep to pull out a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Ruth Seaborne at No. 4 singles and Lucie Rey followed with a gutsy 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Carolina De Los Santos in the No. 5 spot.

Vasenina was ahead, 4-1, in the first set when court issues delayed her match with Francesca Segarelli. The two moved over to court No. 6 with the match tied at 3 and Vasenina rolled to an 6-1, 6-1 victory to earn the decisive point.

"They believed even when things were tough," Moreno said. "You keep fighting and you keep having hope - that makes you strong."

USF (5-3) started the week with a 5-0 victory at UCF and heads home looking for a sweep of in-state rivals 11 a.m. Sunday when the Bulls host Florida Gulf Coast at the USF Varsity Courts. Admission is free.

"We have to take it easy tomorrow, forget about what happened today and start concentrating for the match on Sunday," Moreno.

Doubles

Mia Vriens/Amy Sargeant (FSU) def. Loreto Alonso Martinez/Ecaterina Vasenina, 8-6.

Carolina De Los Santos/Francesca Segarelli (FSU) def. Fanny Fracassi/Lucie Rey, 8-2

Ruth Seaborne/Leyla Erkan (FSU) def. Danielle Mills/Paula Montoya, 8-5

Singles

Vasenina (USF) def. Segarelli, 6-1, 6-1

Alonso Martinez (USF) def. Vriens, 6-2, 6-3

Erkan (FSU) def. Mills, 6-2, 6-2

Fracassi (USF) def. Seaborne, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

Rey (USF) def. De Los Santos, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Sargeant (FSU) def. Montoya, 6-1, 7-5