This past week, the UR women’s tennis team played two matches, beating Case Western Reserve University, 7-2, and losing to Brandeis University, 5-1.
“It was great to have UAA teams in town giving us a look ahead to conference championships in a few weeks,” head coach Anna Khvalina said.
Against Brandeis, the team was not as up to the task, losing while winning only one point, with sophomores Brittany Bowman and Kristen Shaw teaming up to take the third doubles, 8-6. Freshman Vicky Wells and sophomore Debbie Katz lost their doubles match, 9-7, at the second position.
“They need more experience and need to take more calculated risks and finishing points at net in doubles,” Khvalina said.
Against Case Western, junior Alexa Perry won both matches she played, taking the No. 1 singles, 7-6(4), 7-6(4), and then teamed up with sophomore Melinda Beckmann to win the No. 1 doubles match, 8-6.
“Our top doubles team of Alexa Perry and Mel Beckmann has been playing consistently throughout the spring and they were tough against Case,” Khvalina said.
Shaw also won both her matches, beating her opponent in the No. 5 singles spot, 6-1, 6-2, and teamed up with Bowman to win the third doubles match, 8-2. Bowman also won her singles match, 6-1, 6-0. Michelle DesRoseiers secured the match for UR by winning her singles match at the sixth position, 6-2, 6-1.
“It’s not easy to play two team matches in one day, and the effort the team put in coming back from a morning loss, changing venues from indoor to outdoor and still coming out strong in the afternoon really gives us confidence for the rest of the season,” Khvalina said.
The women’s team plays at Skidmore College on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and at St. Lawrence College on Sunday at noon.
The men’s team didn’t fare as well as the women’s. They lost three more consecutive games, getting slaughtered in the first two. Over the weekend, the men also played Brandeis and Case, getting shut out, 0-5, 0-7, respectively. They managed to make their match closer against Rochester Institute of Technology, losing 4-5.
In the matches against Brandeis and Case, some matches were not played to decision due to the domination by the opposing teams.
The closest match of the weekend was between freshman Brian Bowman and Brandeis’s Adam Sher. Bowman dropped the first set of his No. 2 singles match, 1-6, but he was ahead in the second set, 4-3, when it was halted.
In the match against RIT, wins came from senior Mike Burger at first singles, 6-2, 0-6, 6-1, Bowman at second singles, 6-0, 6-0, and senior Michael Shepheard took the No. 4 singles spot, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. The final point came from Burger and Bowman, who combined to win at first doubles, 8-5, giving them double points for the day. However, it wasn’t enough, as they weren’t able to get the final point and were edged.
The men will be playing Skidmore on Saturday, as well. The match begins at noon. They will not be playing against St. Lawrence.
Maystrovsky is a member of the class of 2009.Philbrick is a member of the class of 2009.
