Women’s Tennis Gives Orange A Battle But Falls 7-0
SYRACUSE, NY. The University at Albany women's tennis team turned in a credible performance versus a nationally-ranked Syracuse squad on their home courts.The Great Danes’ #1 doubles team, Alba Sala and Ana Glumac, made a big statement as they knocked off the Orange's #1 tandem, 6-4. But the home team pulled out the other two doubles matches and all the singles for a 7-0 final score. Syracuse, currently sitting at #53 in the nation, has wins this spring over Princeton and South Florida, two teams in the top 40.
"We rose to the occasion today and found out that we can play with nationally ranked teams,” said Head Coach Gordon Graham. “Alba and Ana demonstrated that we can also win matches at that level. The whole team competed well, fought hard and came away knowing we can be a good team. It was a strong performance by everyone."
The Danes went toe-to-toe with the Orange in several singles matches, giving them a real battle. Dajana Ognjenovic (#1), Glumac (#2) and Sala (#3) all came up just one service break short in each set and co-captain Kirsten Scott (#5) fought off some set points before narrowly dropping her first set in a tiebreak. Mireille Hermans (#4), playing her first match of the season, and Chassidy King (#6) dropped their first sets 6-1, but both stepped it up in the second losing 6-3.
UAlbany goes right back on the courts today playing MARIST at Sportime Schenectady at 2:00pm.
RESULTS: UALBANY 0 SYRACUSE 7
Doubles:
1. Sala-Glumac (UA) def. Rodgers-Mitchell (S) 6-4
2. Salazar-Safdar (S) def. Scott-King (UA) 6-3*
3. Newborn-Bachini (S) def. Kukkonen-Ognjenovic (UA) 6-1
Order of finish: 3,2,1
*= Clinched doubles point for Syracuse
Singles:
1. Amanda Rodgers (S) def. Dajana Ognjenovic (UA) 6-4,6-4
2. Valeria Salazar (S) def. Ana Glumac (UA) 6-4,6-3
3. Rhiann Newborn (S) def. Alba Sala (UA) 6-3,6-4$
4. Konal Safdar (S) def. Mireille Hermans (UA) 6-1,6-3
5. Breanna Bachini (S) def. Kirsten Scott (UA) 7-6(2), 6-1
6. Nicole Mitchell (S) def. Chassidy King (UA) 6-1,6-3
exhibition: Olivia Messineo (S) def. Averie Bowen (UA) 8-4
Order of finish: 4,6,3,1,2,5.
$= Clinched match for Syracuse
Attendance: 63.
UALBANY RECORDS: 2-1 overall, 0-0 America East
