The women’s tennis team had a tough time Sunday as SUNY- Buffalo swept all six singles matches and won two out of three doubles en route to a decisive victory over the Yellowjackets.
UR’s lone bright spot of the outing versus the Division I Bulls was the performances of seniors Joanna Toke and Tara Pajoohi, who paired up to defeat Buffalo’s number one team in the first match of doubles play.
Toke, a captain from Henrietta, N.Y., also took a one set out of three against Buffalo’s Kristin Ortman in the single matches.
After winning the opening set 6-0, Toke dropped the second set 6-3. Instead of playing out the third set, the teams chose to decide the match with a 10-point super tie-breaker, which Toke lost, 10-7.
“Joanna ran out of steam after the first set,” Head Coach Anna Khvalina said . “Both Joanna and Tara can do outstanding this year, it’s just a matter of regaining momentum and becoming stronger physically.”
Playing against a Division I team can be a daunting experience for a young team such as the Yellowjackets. However, Khavlina thinks that in the end, the experience will be a beneficial one for the squad.
“We aren’t upset, it’s a tough loss to start with but [against a team like Buffalo] you never know what to expect.”
Hoping to improve with every match, the Yellowjackets travel to William Smith College next week for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Championships. The following week, they will take on Nazareth College at home.
In their final event of the fall season, the team will return to William Smith for the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.
The Yellowjackets are guaranteed one representative at the ITAs but it is likely that they will earn the right to send even more.
Additional reporting by Mike Gerton. Schloss can be reached at aschloss@campustimes.org.
