The UConn women’s tennis team took down the Seton Hall Pirates on the road in their Big East opener on Friday, Feb. 7 by a decisive score of 4-0.
UConn came into Big East play 2-1 in the spring, with wins over Fairfield and St. Bonaventure. The Pirates shared the same record but were coming off a tough loss to Princeton.
Doubles have been a strong point for UConn this season, and Friday was no different. The Huskies started out strong, securing the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Seniors Olivia Wright and Maria Constantinou continue to be an effective pair with a 6-2 victory in their doubles match. Senior Isabel Petri Bere and sophomore Victoria Matos were equally impressive in their match, with a dominant 6-1 win. Freshman Chloe Lomans and sophomore Isabella Asenov were battling hard, but were still down 4-3 before the match went unfinished.
Seton Hall appeared to be more competitive going into singles, with Wright dropping her first set 7-5. However, the senior showed resilience and bounced back to win her next set 6-2 and sealed the match with a 6-3 win in the third. The other Husky seniors took care of business, as Constantinou and Petri Bere won all of their sets 6-3, giving UConn the necessary points to clinch a 4-0 overall UConn victory.
The remaining unfinished matches looked to be a bit closer before ultimately going undecided due to the clinch rule. Sophomore Caroline Hinshaw won her first set and was tied 6-6 in the second set before the Huskies clinched. Matos, after splitting the first two sets, led 4-2 in the third and final set. Lomans was up 4-3 in her second set after securing the first.
The singles performances in this match were a relieving sight for the Huskies, marking their strongest showing so far this spring. With their doubles squads already performing at such a high level, UConn appears poised for success if they can maintain this consistency in singles play.
Next up, UConn is set to take on in-state rival Quinnipiac in Manchester, Conn. on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. The Huskies hope to take their momentum from this victory with them as they look to extend their winning streak and secure another crucial win in their spring campaign.