The UConn Women’s Tennis team knocked off fellow in-state rivals, Fairfield, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, securing their first win of the spring season with a final score of 4-3.
Coming into their first matchup of the season, the Huskies were undefeated and left the same way. With their win against the Stags, UConn opened with the doubles matches where the Huskies secured wins in each match.
Both the veteran Huskies and newcomers pulled out all the stops in their doubles matches to secure wins. UConn Seniors Olivia Wright and Maria Constantinou came out strong winning 7-6, proving that they still dominate on the courts. Last fall, Wright went 10-2 in her doubles matches and Constantinou went 12-2. The duo together holds a 10-2 record and is proving to be the tough team to beat.
A unique pairing that worked in the Huskies’ favor was senior Isabel Petri Bere and sophomore Victoria Matos who won their doubles match with a score of 6-4.
To put a close to the doubles matches, sophomore Isabella Asenov and freshman Chloe Lomans closed out the match strong with a win of 6-3. Asenov entered the match on a two-game winning streak and used that momentum to help her and Lomans earn a win for their team.
The Huskies have had varied outcomes in their preseason singles matches with a record of 48-42, which left questions of how they would fare against Fairfield. However, the strong performance of freshman Lomans contributed to the success against the Stags, where she added another win to her already impressive 10-2 record so far this year. Lomans earned her first dual match singles win at the number five singles against the Stags.
Constantinou faced off against Fairfield sophomore Anna Neyestani and made Constantinou work for the win. Neyestani held an 11-5 record in singles matches coming into the match against Constantinou, proving to be tough competition. The singles match went to a third set but ultimately it was Constantinou who earned the point for the Huskies.
Despite their loss, Fairfield freshman Victoria Mandma was awarded the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the week for remaining undefeated in spring singles action.
Looking ahead, the Huskies will travel to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. The programs road trip to West Point will continue the next day, as the Huskies will face St. Bonaventure with an early start time of 9 a.m. With the lack of time in between their next matches, UConn will need to devote all their energy to keep their spring season going strong.