35-5. That’s the overall point differential for Fordham Women’s Tennis in their past seven matches. The team entered its March 13 match against Queens College with a 4-5 record; four weeks later, the club stands at 11-5 on the back of a seven-match hot streak.
As students traveled home for spring break, the Rams flew to Texas to embark on a four-game stint against some of the nation’s southernmost collegiate clubs.
First up, Fordham visited Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, earning a commanding 6-1 win against the Southland conference Cardinals. The Rams, who have been off-and-on in doubles, won every match in the category, highlighted by a 6-2 win at #3 from graduate student Franny Shea and freshman Julianne Nguyen. Fordham was equally dominant in singles play, where Shea, graduate student Raffaela Alhach, senior Rose Hu and freshmen Anlin Xie and Cindy Zhou all picked up wins.
From there, the club traveled east to Louisiana for a match against Loyola University New Orleans, the first of a three-match stretch in the Bayou. The 4-4 Wolf Pack proved no match to their Jesuit university counterpart, as the Rams cruised to a 7-0 sweep. The Rams collected another doubles point with strong performances at #1 and #2 from the tandems of senior Eleni Fasoula/Hu and Nguyen/Shea, respectively. In first through fifth singles, the Rams were relentless, earning points in straight sets. The only match that needed three sets was sixth singles, where Nguyen once again rose to the occasion to put away Avery Frierson in an 11-9 bridge set.
From there, the Rams shipped off to Baton Rouge, La., for a tilt versus Southern University. The Rams swept again, this time 4-0, leaving three singles matches unfinished. In the matches that did wrap, the Rams were dominant. Graduate transfer Camila Baeza picked up her first win of the spring at third doubles, teaming up with fellow graduate student Demi Jhaveri for a nail-biting 7-6 (7-4) victory. Otherwise, Sofie Siem got her first action of the trip at fifth singles, where the Norwegian sophomore overwhelmed her opposition, 6-4, 6-0.
Siem continued her dominance against Nicholls State University the next day, going 6-2, 6-2, for a straight-set win at sixth singles. Like all who came before them, the Colonels were trounced by the Rams — the final score was, once again, 4-0. At #2 doubles, Fasoula and Hu continued to demonstrate their chemistry with a 6-4 win. For Fasoula, it was the second consecutive match in which the senior won at both doubles and singles. Meanwhile, Nguyen stayed blistering hot, besting Constanza Cruz, 7-5, 6-1. Nguyen was honored for her stellar play on April 3, being named Atlantic 10 conference freshman of the week — over the four-match period, Nguyen went undefeated, 2-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.
The Rams returned home this past Friday to face their A-10 rival University of Richmond, who rode into the match with a 6-6 record. At first and third doubles, Alhach/Xie (6-3) and Nguyen/Shea (6-3) earned the Rams the match’s initial point. The Spiders were unable to crawl back from an early deficit, though, losing three out of four singles matches. Alhach, Xie and Zhou each put together two-set sweeps to earn the Rams their seventh consecutive win in their fourth win in as many matches against A-10 foes.
Oh, and they got new jewelry, too. On Saturday, the team was honored with rings for their A-10 Conference Championship in 2023 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y. “These rings will bond everyone on this team forever,” head coach Michael Sowter said of the historic Rams team.
Looking ahead, the team has just two weeks until the A-10 tournament kicks off on April 24, where Sowter and company will look to add another championship to Fordham’s already impressive resume. Before then, the squad will celebrate its graduating class on Senior Day against St. Thomas Aquinas College on April 13 before traveling to Amherst for a taste of in-conference play against the University of Massachusetts.
