The University of Rhode Island women’s tennis team picked up two victories over the weekend against Le Moyne College and Siena University to improve to 6-3 on the season.
The Rams started the weekend on Saturday by winning all three matches in doubles play to take a 1-0 lead over Le Moyne.
Fourth-year Nikki Fernando and first-year Kajsa Helgesen were dominant in a 6-0 victory. Second-year Grace Darcy and second-year Anastasia Petterson won 6-2. The combination of fourth-year Sophie Herrman and fourth-year Ava Grnja won a more tightly contested match 7-5.
“I really feel like we’re playing at a high level in doubles,” URI Head Coach Jonas Brobeck said. “We’re doing a lot of good stuff in doubles, which is going to make us hard to beat.”
Rhody proved to be hard to beat as Helgesen and Darcy carried their momentum into singles play, and both won their matches in straight sets. Fernando also won her singles match as her opponent retired due to injury for the final point to clinch the victory.
“We’ve had a really good season doubles-wise,” Darcy said. “[Petterson and I] live together and are really good friends, so the chemistry comes really naturally… I played with her last year as well, so we’re very familiar and just sort of learn to trust each other’s games.”
On Sunday, Brobeck’s squad picked up right where they left off. Rhody once again took the doubles point. Helgesen and Fernando won their match 6-1, along with Darcy and Petterson, winning by the same score.
Darcy, Petterson and Helgesen all won their singles matches and clinched another 4-0 win for the Rams. Rhody went the entire weekend without losing a single match.
“Siena on Sunday was one of the more complete matches we have played this year,” Brobeck said. “From a doubles perspective, a great match [No. 1, 2, 3] doubles playing on our terms and trusting their game plans.”
Both matches were only played until a clinch, when the Rams guaranteed a win by reaching four points. Multiple players like Herrman and Fernando were winning their matches when play was stopped on Sunday.
Rhode Island will look to build on this win streak on Saturday, when the Rams take on the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions at Quinnipiac University.
“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Brobeck said. “We’re looking forward to that match every year. When we play them, it’s a close match… They always have a great team, they compete really well because they are used to winning, and we’re ready for it.”
The Rams’ match against Quinnipiac last season was canceled. The last time Rhody played the Bobcats was two years ago, when the Rams picked up a 4-3 win. Rhode Island will also take on Stonehill College this weekend on Sunday at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.
