Spring Break
Tennis ties for 7th at A-10 Tournament
Evan Crawley
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports
04/23/08 - The sixth-seeded University of Rhode Island women's tennis team finished in a tie for seventh with Duquesne University at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Monroeville, Pa., last weekend.
"We barely lost some matches that would have put us even higher, but overall it was a good outing," Rams head coach Sandy Wood said.
In the Rams' final match, the team dropped a tight 4-3 decision to the seventh-seeded University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Sophomore Amanda Barletta and freshman Kristen Liu kept the Rams in it, first teaming to win their doubles match 8-5 before taking their singles matches 6-3, 6-1 and 7-5, 6-0 respectively.
"We dominated at the bottom of the order, with both Amanda Barletta and Kristen Liu playing extremely well," Wood said.
Freshman Brooke Hoover picked up the only other point for the Rams, winning by forfeit at No. 6 singles. Rhody was one doubles match away from finishing higher, but was unable to get the extra match to get the win.
"It is pretty important, but I don't think that it's been our strength this year," Wood said of doubles play. "We've given up the doubles point more than I would have liked this year, but on the other side we've played really good singles."
The Rams opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over the No. 11 seed University of Dayton on day one, responding with four singles victories after losing the doubles point.
Sophomore No. 1 Nyssa Peele and freshman No. 2 Christen Cadigan each picked up 6-4, 6-1 victories, while Barletta and Liu won 6-3, 6-4 and 6-2, 6-1 respectively.
Junior No. 4 Valerie Chacon appeared to be well on her way to victory up 6-3, 5-3, while jjunior No. 3 Grace Hedstrom suffered the only singles loss 6-3, 6-2.
In the next round, the Rams faced off with five-time reigning champion University of Richmond, and fell 4 to 0 the third-seeded Spiders. After losing the doubles point, Peele, Chacon and Hedstrom each fell in straight sets to give Richmond the win.
"We barely lost some matches that would have put us even higher, but overall it was a good outing," Rams head coach Sandy Wood said.
In the Rams' final match, the team dropped a tight 4-3 decision to the seventh-seeded University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Sophomore Amanda Barletta and freshman Kristen Liu kept the Rams in it, first teaming to win their doubles match 8-5 before taking their singles matches 6-3, 6-1 and 7-5, 6-0 respectively.
"We dominated at the bottom of the order, with both Amanda Barletta and Kristen Liu playing extremely well," Wood said.
Freshman Brooke Hoover picked up the only other point for the Rams, winning by forfeit at No. 6 singles. Rhody was one doubles match away from finishing higher, but was unable to get the extra match to get the win.
"It is pretty important, but I don't think that it's been our strength this year," Wood said of doubles play. "We've given up the doubles point more than I would have liked this year, but on the other side we've played really good singles."
The Rams opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over the No. 11 seed University of Dayton on day one, responding with four singles victories after losing the doubles point.
Sophomore No. 1 Nyssa Peele and freshman No. 2 Christen Cadigan each picked up 6-4, 6-1 victories, while Barletta and Liu won 6-3, 6-4 and 6-2, 6-1 respectively.
Junior No. 4 Valerie Chacon appeared to be well on her way to victory up 6-3, 5-3, while jjunior No. 3 Grace Hedstrom suffered the only singles loss 6-3, 6-2.
In the next round, the Rams faced off with five-time reigning champion University of Richmond, and fell 4 to 0 the third-seeded Spiders. After losing the doubles point, Peele, Chacon and Hedstrom each fell in straight sets to give Richmond the win.
