Things have not been going the Huskies’ way as of late, as the UConn women’s tennis team lost again, extending its losing streak to three after the match against Bryant University on Wednesday. Though it was close the whole way, the Bryant Bulldogs edged out UConn by a score of 4-3. Truthfully, that seems to just be the way things have gone recently for the UConn women.
The first important note to make about the meet was that No. 1 singles Julieanne Bou was out due to an injury, which instantly hurt the Huskies’ depth. Not having your best player entering a tough meet is a daunting task. But, UConn carried on, and really gave the Bulldogs a run for their money. Everyone else on the team got a promotion, so that meant usual No. 2 singles Leonie Hoppe jumped into the top spot in the lineup, and fully took advantage, winning both sets against Bryant’s No. 1. That, in and of itself, was an impressive feat, but then, when you look at the rest of the singles matches, you’ll find that UConn actually won the singles side of the competition: the usual No. 4 and 5 singles got the No. 3 and 4 slots for the day and made the best of it, as Caroline Cook and Isabel Petri Bere defeated Bryant’s No. 3 and 4 singles, respectively. However, while UConn showed their might within the doubles alleys, they struggled when those were factored into the equation. All three doubles teams lost in unceremonious fashion, not being able to keep up with the Bulldogs. And so, even after winning three out of four singles matches, UConn still came home from Bryant, defeated.
The Huskies still have a chance to pick themselves up, however: they will face Boston University on Saturday at 1 p.m. This meeting in Boston will allow for the women to get back on the right track, and perhaps it will be the start of a new swing of momentum that carries them through the rest of the season.
The Boston Terriers come into the weekend with an average 7-7 record, having a 1-0 record in Patriot League play. They’ve had a season that has largely been mediocre, but they have won three of their last four, turning around their season around and flipping the script from what was happening at its beginning, when they started the season off losing three of their first four meets. Most recently, they defeated Loyola Maryland in convincing 4-0 fashion, not even letting them win a single match.
Saturday will be a real proving ground to see if UConn can carry itself into the back half of the season with some momentum — momentum they sorely need right now.
