Courtesy of UR Athletics
After their win over regionally-ranked William Smith College last week, the UR Women’s Tennis team had high hopes to continue their success during a trip this past weekend to the New York area for two important matchups against New York University and The College of New Jersey. (TCNJ)
Both matches ended up being close affairs, with the ‘Jackets prevailing 5-4 over NYU on Saturday, March 28, before falling 6-3 to TCNJ on Sunday.
Despite beating NYU twice last season, the current Violets roster featured a number of new recruits. After coming off a strong fall season, it was clear that the ‘Jackets had their work cut out for them.
To make matters more difficult, the match was held on NYU’s indoor courts at the Stadium Tennis Center in the Bronx, where the remarkably bright lighting and cold temperatures were far different than Rochester’s own Goergen Athletic Center.
A revamped squad and home court advantage certainly seemed to put NYU in a good position to win, but once the first ball was struck it was clear that UR would not go down without a fight.
Despite a quick win at first doubles for NYU, UR fought their way to close victories at the other two spots.
Early on, sophomore Lauren Zickar and freshman Alex Wolkoff took third doubles with a 9-8(1) win and were quickly followed by junior Molly Goodman and sophomore Dorothy Tai, who won 9-7. Taking the lead after doubles is always a priority against NYU, as the Violets are generally regarded as being stronger in singles.
Any momentum the ‘Jackets may have had after doubles was quickly lost, as NYU jumped out to the lead at first, second and third singles. The hosts would continue their winning streak at first and third, but Tai kept UR in the thick of things with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win, knotting the overall match score at 3-3. NYU inched back ahead with a win at fifth singles, but the lead was short-lived after Goodman took her match 6-1, 6-4.
With the overall score tied at 4-4, the match came down to sophomore Darby McCall at sixth singles. The men’s Rochester-NYU match, which happened simultaneously, also came down to the final match, with both deciders taking place on adjacent courts, creating a unique, exciting atmosphere. The ‘Jackets ultimately took both of the matches for a pair of 5-4 wins, with McCall cruising to a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win.
Against TCNJ the following day, UR dropped two of three doubles matches, a deficit they were not able to overcome. TCNJ took four of the six singles matches, and despite singles wins from Goodman and junior Christine Ho, the 6-3 loss made for a somewhat disappointing day for the ‘Jackets.
Beating NYU was perhaps the more important result of the weekend, as the win gives UR an advantage for the UAA Championships seeding. The tournament, where the two teams could potentially face off again, runs from April 23-25th in Altamonte Springs, FL.
Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.
