Fordham University Women’s Tennis made sure to leave an imprint on the inaugural Atlantic 10 Masters tournament.
The Rams, who have excelled in fall exhibition play, sent three of their best to Davidson College for an Oct. 25-27 weekend of play with trophies and honor on the line.
Seizing the opportunity, junior Nevena Kolarevic and sophomore Julianne Nguyen, paired up to win the women’s doubles tournament among a pool of 11 teams.
Entering play as the #2-ranked tandem, Kolarevic and Nguyen earned a first-round bye. In the quarterfinals, they matched up with Mariam Ibrahim Mohamed Metwally and Amelie Jewelwics of Virginia Commonwealth University, ultimately overpowering the pairing, 8-4.
Advancing to semis, the Rams completed an 8-0 sweep of Duquesne University’s Kaya Rand and Alexandra O’Brien. Their reign of dominance reached its climax in the event’s final, where they were pitted with the University of Richmond’s Sofia Maria Barbulescu and Elizabeth Novak, a duo fresh off an 8-2 trouncing of the tournament’s #1 ranked team.
Nonetheless, Kolarevic and Nguyen cruised. The duo took a commanding 1-0 lead by way of a 6-1 set, following it up with a title-clinching 6-4 triumph, earning them the glory of being the A-10 Masters tournament’s first-ever women’s doubles winners.
Kolarevic’s development is of particular interest. She’s been stellar during fall exhibitions, and figures to be among Fordham’s top contributors in her first year with the club. The Illinois State University transfer won Missouri Valley Conference rookie of the year in 2022 after posting a ridiculous 24-8 singles record to pair with a 16-4 doubles mark. In her sophomore campaign, she managed to one-up herself, going 23-6 and 19-6, respectively.
In both of her first two seasons, she won the MVC Fall Individual Championship. Pair her with the likes of Nguyen, senior Lorraine Bergmann and the rest of the Rams, and coach Michael Sowter may have an A-10 championship contender under his tutelage.
Returning focus to the A-10 Masters, the Rams impressed in singles play, too. Kolarevic was ranked #1 in the pool, earning a round of 32 bye. She continued her hot streak, wiping out Dayton University’s Lara Greb in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in the round of sixteen. The Serbian native was knocked out in the quarterfinals, though, after retiring due to injury.
Freshman Paola Ueno Dalmonico also turned in a strong performance, snatching a round of 32 win, 6-3, 6-2, over Saint Joseph University’s Victoria Tracey. Her run was upended in the round of 16 when she was pitted against the tournament’s eventual champion in Barbulescu.
All in all, Fordham turned heads at the A-10’s first edition of the Masters tournament. Kolarevic and Nguyen will advance to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Masters Championships, which take place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from Nov. 7-10. The winner of that event will advance to the NCAA Individual Championships, with a national title up for grabs.
