Spring Break
Tennis fights way to top early in season, defeats Hofstra, 5-2
Anthony aRusso
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Sports
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The team managed to battle through a cold and windy October afternoon and a talented Hofstra team to keep an undefeated season.
Freshman Tristany Leikem, who was named the student-athlete of the week along with side quarterback Derek Cassidy of the football team, was able to beat Hofstra's Morganne Downing in straight sets to improve to 8-0 in singles play this season.
Leikem also earned a win in doubles, paired with twin sister Kirsten Leikem. The freshman duo is now 7-1 on the season.
"Tristany played great," said head coach Sandy Wood. "I knew that this was going to be a tough one ... I'm pleased to get through it."
The match was close from the beginning. The third doubles match came down to a tiebreaker, but URI seniors Valerie Chacon and Grace Hedstrom found a way to win 9-8, which gave the Rams a 1-0 lead entering singles play.
"It was tight all the way," said Wood regarding, the efforts of the senior pair. "We managed to win a tiebreaker which was really big."
When the singles matches started, the temperature began to drop and the wind picked up.
"You're warm when you're playing," said Tristany, who said she was not affected by the conditions.
"They fought through the wind by keeping their composure," Wood said. "It bothered Hofstra a lot more than it bothered us."
The singles matches were close as well, with URI eventually winning four of the six matches. Freshman Pam Emery, Tristany and Chacon each won their match in two sets. Junior Amanda Barletta earned a victory in a long, three-set battle, 6-1, 4-6, 10-7.
Emery was down early in the first set of her match, but found a way to come back and win 7-5, 6-2.
"Pam [Emery] had a great match," Wood said. "There were a lot of close matches today, and even the ones that we lost we might have won."
Coach Wood also said it was a very tough test for his team and he is proud of the way that it performed.
The Rams are now 4-0 overall and 1-0 inside of their conference. Next, the team will travel to Fairfield, Conn., on Oct. 11 for the New England Championships.
