Sophomore Klara Nelander was in position to earn the Rams’ first win of the afternoon before her match was stopped. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
Battling harsh weather conditions, the University of Rhode Island Tennis team were shut out 4-0 by George Washington University last Saturday to move to 2-2 in Atlantic 10 play.
Despite the defeat, Head Coach Val Villucci complimented her team’s efforts on the court, noting it was the athletes’ resilience while dealing with harsh winds that kept the team in the match.
“The team played extremely well in the single matches, especially considering the conditions,” Villucci said. “The wind was definitely a factor, but they really showed what we’ve been working on in practice. I try to tell them to control what they can and not focus on what they cannot. They were in it, despite what the score says.”
The Colonials took an early lead in doubles play with all three doubles teams earning a victory over the Rams.
Down 1-0, the match came down to the No. 1, 2 and 6 singles matches. According to Villucci, in Atlantic 10 play, the first team to earn four team points clinches the victory and the remaining singles matches are marked as incomplete.
Opening off at first singles, junior Nadia Rajan fell in straight sets to Stella Weissman, 6-0, 6-1, to add onto the Colonials’ lead. For Weissman, a sophomore from Jena, Germany, the win marked her sixth victory in her last seven singles matches.
Despite the losing effort, Rajan remained in good spirits.
“It’s definitely hard going out there playing against someone who I know is better than me.” Rajan said. “Ranking at first singles, I’m used to playing against the team’s best individual players. I wouldn’t be in the position I am in if my coach and team didn’t believe I could handle it.”
Villucci echoed what Rajan said and praised her ability to remain resilient and confident throughout her match.
“Nadia is such a strong, resilient player,” Villucci said. “She had a tough competitor. With the wind, she showed a wide variety of shots and strategies to adjust to the circumstances. She has shown great improvement over the season and is on her way to putting forth one of her best seasons yet.”
The Colonials would go on to earn victories over senior twins Erin and Sydney Chratian at second and sixth singles to secure the victory.
The remaining three singles matches, third, fourth and fifth singles were stopped as the match was already in hand for GW.
After winning the first set over freshman Alejandra Ramirez in fifth singles by a score of 6-4, sophomore Klara Nelander was on her way to securing the first team match point for the Rams before her set was stopped at 4-2.
“I was so close to winning my match,” Nelander said. “It’s definitely difficult, but it’s a team sport so I try to take every opportunity as a learning experience to improve in the future.”
The team went on to bounce back and win Wednesday night on Senior Day against Merrimack 7-0.
The Rams return to the court this weekend for a two-match set at the URI Tennis Complex. They’ll host UConn Friday at 2:30 p.m. and then return to conference play against Fordham on Saturday at 1 p.m.sara