Tiara Higuchi brought the tennis team victory in both singles and doubles last Sunday against Providence. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
In a strong showing in both singles and doubles, the University of Rhode Island Tennis team cruised by Providence College Sunday 6-1 to move to 5-2 on the season.
The Rams have now defeated the Friars in four straight matches dating back to the 2016-17 season.
Since the start of the season, the team has begun “settling in”, according to Head Coach Val Villucci.
“Even in the close matches or situations, we’re able to handle the pressure shots,” she said. “That was really good to see.”
Rhody swept PC in doubles play, with the combination of Valentina Cvackova and Klara Nelander winning 6-4 at first doubles, the sibling duo of Erin and Sydney Chratian winning 6-1 at second doubles and Tiara Higuchi and Nadia Rajan taking their match 6-3 at third doubles.
Singles competition saw more of the same success for the Rams, with all but the top singles match going in their favor. Rajan was victorious at second singles 6-0, 6-3, both Higuchi and Sydney Chratian won their matches 6-4, 6-1 at fourth and fifth singles respectively and Nelander took the final singles match decisively 6-0, 6-1.
Both singles and doubles play have seen some growth since the season began, according to Villucci. Having the opportunity to play more matches has helped the team become more “comfortable” as the spring goes on.
“Even though they haven’t been the easiest matches for us, they’re showing improvement,” she said. “[They] have definitely made the turn.”
Only two singles matches reached a third set. At the top singles spot, Providence’s Olivia Wright outlasted Cvackova at first singles 6-0, 6-7, 8-10. However, Rhody responded at third singles when Erin Chratian closed out her second three-set match in as many weeks, defeating PC’s Katie Mulvey 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Chratian, coming off of her second career Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week award after a three-set win over Sacred Heart on Feb. 13, has been a steady leader for the Rams this season. Now in her senior year, Villucci believes her experience has played a big role in both the team’s success and her success individually.
“The experiences that she’s had in her four years always proves to be worth the time that she’s put on the court,” Villucci said. “She’s definitely taken those experiences that she’s had and using it to her advantage.”
Sunday’s match also marked the second consecutive week URI has gone with the same lineup, both in singles and doubles. While Villucci still hopes to get everyone on the roster playing time, she says she hopes to find consistency in the lineup moving forward.
“There probably will be changes, but there will also be some consistency with it,” she said. “I’m still trying to keep everyone in a playing situation.”
Rhody will return to Newport this weekend to face Holy Cross. One of the team’s biggest focuses, according to Villucci, will be maintaining focus and staying “match tough.”
“Trying to maintain that focus throughout an entire competition is a difficult task,” she said. “But that’s what we’re going to continue to keep doing.”
The Rams are set to host the Crusaders this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.