Over the weekend, the University of Rhode Island women’s tennis team traveled back to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, winning both matches against Stonehill College on Saturday and Sacred Heart University on Sunday.
The match started on Saturday against Stonehill with fourth-year Klara Nelander and third-year Sophie Hermann getting a 6-0 victory in No. 3 doubles. Shortly after, first-years Grace Darcy and Anastasia Pettersson grabbed a 6-1 win at No. 2, and finally, third-years Nikki Fernando and Ava Grnja won a close 6-4 match in No. 1 doubles.
With all three doubles matches ending in victory for the Rams, the team’s chemistry continues to build as it moves closer toward playoffs.
“The girls are buying in,” URI Assistant Coach Dan Cardiff said. “They’re putting in the hard work day in and day out, and the record is a testament to that hard work. Their ability to lock in and trust [Head Coach] Jonas [Brobeck] and myself, and also trust each other, speaks for itself.”
The Rams success on Saturday didn’t stop at doubles. First-year Katherina Speith put a 6-1 and 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles, and Pettersson kept it going with a 6-2 and 6-2 win at No. 5 singles. Fernando continued URI’s success with a 6-0 and 6-0 landslide at No. 3 singles, adding on to her many achievements this season.
“[Fernando’s] just building off of her previous season, and she’s been quite dominant this year,” Cardiff said. “It’s really fun to watch because she’s bought in, she’s believing in herself and if anybody does that, they can succeed, and she’s done that. She’s great for the energy, she’s always pushing those around her and we are lucky to have her on the team.”
Heading into Sunday after a dominant performance against Stonehill, the Rams stayed in control early against Sacred Heart.
Spieth started the match off by continuing her triumph through the weekend with a 6-4 and 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles, collecting a team-high 12th win in a row. Following her was Darcy, who picked up a 6-1 and 6-4 win at No. 4 singles, and Pettersson, who gathered a 6-2 and 7-5 victory at No. 5 singles.
“The freshmen are very talented and the record speaks for itself,” Cardiff said. “The upperclassmen have pushed them in the right direction with the overall team culture, how we do things on a day-to-day basis, and everyone works together.”
Continuing the URI sweep in singles was Fernando, who took a 6-0 and 6-2 victory, making her undefeated over the weekend.
Moving over to doubles, the duo of Fernando and Spieth brought home a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles. The first-years kept it rolling with Darcy and Pettersson winning 6-3 in No. 2 doubles, and to cap it off, Nelander and Hermann gathered a 6-1 victory in No. 3 doubles.
“This season is definitely a step in the right direction,” Cardiff said. “This group is really laying the foundation for a good culture, not only just on a tennis court, but off the court and in the classroom too. Each and every player on this team is making an impact and setting not only the culture of tennis, but also the culture of overall what it is to be a Rhody Ram.”
The Rams improved to 7-1 and will face Providence College in a battle of Rhode Island foes on Saturday.
