The UR women’s tennis team kicked off its spring season last weekend with a win over the Le Moyne College Dolphins on Sunday.
The Yellowjackets came off of a 3-1 fall season during which they beat Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Brockport and Nazareth College, but fell to SUNY Geneseo in the last meet of the season.
UR also had a strong showing in different championships during the fall.
Sophomore Lia Weiner placed first in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Northeast Regional singles competition. She then took a trip to Mobile, Ala. for the ITA National Small College Championships.
While Weiner was in Alabama, freshman Alex Goodman stepped up and took Weiner’s place in the No. 1 singles position at the New York State Championships.
The newcomer got to the semifinals of the championship.
Along with Goodman, three other UR players advanced to the quarterfinals and all three doubles teams made it to the second round.
The ‘Jackets, who beat the Dolphins last season, 9-0, came out strong in the spring season’s opener. They continued great play when they did not give up any singles matches during the meet. UR took down the Dolphins, 8-1.
The only close match of the singles portion of the matchup was at No. 1 singles, where Weiner beat her opponent, Tirzah Walrath, with a close 7-5 and 6-4 sets.
At No. 2 singles, Goodman took out her opponent, Ali Cohen, 6-4, 6-3. Fellow freshman Danielle Shreck beat Caroline Tisdell, 6-2, 6-2, to give UR a third singles win and another point.
The final three singles points and matches came easy for the ‘Jackets.
Sophomore Elana Polivy showed her strength and experience by only dropping one set her entire match in her impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over her opponent, Brittany Recchia.
Senior Mel Beckmann followed Polivy’s lead and allowed her opponent, Marielle Artessa, only two games in her 6-1, 6-1 win.
Senior Kristen Shaw finished off the sweep of the singles matches in No. 6 singles with a 6-2, 6-0 win against Molly Slifer to give the Yellowjackets their sixth point.
UR’s only loss of the day came in a very close match in the doubles portion of the meet. Playing No. 1 doubles were Goodman and Polivy, who worked hard but could not get the win, losing 8-9 (4) in the tie breaker.
The second two doubles matches were both won with ease. Weiner and Shreck combined together to win, 8-1, at No. 2 doubles. Beckmann and Shaw followed Weiner and Shreck’s lead and took No. 3 singles, 8-1.
The win pushes UR to 4-1 for a combined fall and spring record.
The ‘Jackets’ next match will be this Sunday at home against the Ithaca College Bombers. This will be the first meet of the spring season for the Bombers, who were 11-0 during the fall season.
Belonga is a member of the class of 2010.
