By TARA CANGIALOSI
This past weekend, the Fordham women’s tennis team faced Atlantic 10 Conference rival Saint Joseph’s, falling to the Hawks 5-2 on a beautiful spring day at Rose Hill.
The warm weather on Sunday, April 6 set the perfect scene for the match and the Rams’ annual Senior Day celebration. Seniors Angie Dabu and Hanna Fritzinger were honored for their four years of hard work and dedication to Fordham athletics and the women’s tennis squad.
The day was bittersweet, as both seniors reflected on their time at Fordham and careers on the tennis court.
“The day was very special for Angie and I because we have watched other girls have Senior Day for the past four years,” Fritzinger said. “We couldn’t have gotten through the four years without each other’s support.”
However, Saint Joe’s came out swinging in both the singles and doubles competition, putting an end to the Rams’ short-lived celebration.
The Hawks opened the match by winning the doubles point, taking two out of the three matches. At first doubles, juniors Elliesa Ball and Sarah Ali earned the Rams’ sole doubles victory, upending Alex Zachem and Aurora Davis 8-5.
The Rams could not capture the doubles point, as they then lost the next two matches. Fellow juniors Anika Novacek and Bella Genkina fell at second doubles to Kristina Eisenbrand and Sarah Contrata, 8-2, while the senior-junior duo of Angie Dabu and Julie Leong were shut out by Devi Jadeja and Lauren Roy, 8-0.
In the singles competition, the Rams picked up wins at the second and fifth spots, but could not capitalize.
At second doubles, Ali defeated Eisenbrand in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0, adding to her collection of singles wins this season. At fifth singles, Leong dropped the first set to Arianne Polatnick, 5-7, but came back to take the second, 6-0, and the tiebreaker, 13-11.
Unfortunately, the Rams could not pick up any more singles wins, and Saint Joe’s was victorious in the rest of the singles competition.
Junior Aurora Davis defeated Ball at first singles, 6-2, 6-1, while senior Devi Jadeja beat Dabu 6-4, 6-2 at third singles. At fourth singles, Kelly Mulquin, a junior, then beat Genkina 6-4, 6-1, and Arianne Polatnick upended Fritzinger 6-3, 6-0 at the sixth spot.
The Hawks’ four wins in the singles competition ultimately gave them the singles point, and locked up the overall match victory, improving their record to 10-7.
In the coming weeks, the Rams will look to compete well in the rest of the dual matches of the spring season before the Atlantic 10 Championships at the end of April.
“I feel like we are improving consistently match by match, and although we haven’t won the past two, everyone looks as if they are getting better day by day,” Ball concluded.
The Rams will return to action on Wednesday, April 9, when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face Temple University at 3:30 pm.
