After a month off between matches, the tennis team resumed their spring season.
The Hawks defeated Stevens Institute of Technology 6-3 on April 6 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Hawks head coach Rob Bruley said the team played well, despite the inclimate weather.
Third-year Olivia Ammirati and second-year Emi Lewis earned New Paltz’s only win in doubles play as the pair defeated their opponents, 8-5, in flight two but Stevens held a 2-1 lead heading into singles action.
New Paltz won five out of six flights in singles play to win the match. Ammirati took the victory in flight one, 7-5, 7-5. Hawks second-year Brittany Grandville took flight two 6-1, 6-2, while fourth-year captain Laura Tierney won flight three, 6-0, 6-2.
In flight four, Lewis fought a tough match against Stevens’ first-year Sydney Zoretic, but ultimately ended up with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory. Hawks first-year Lindsay Haley took a two-set win against her opponent, first-year Jill Hadwen (6-3, 6-3) in flight five.
The Hawks dropped a 5-4 decision against Union (N.Y.) College on April 9.
Ammirati and Tierney fell 9-8 in a second flight doubles match. The Dutchwomen won the other two flights for a doubles action sweep.
Tierney expressed her personal frustration toward the match.
“If I had won my match with Olivia [Ammirati] we would have potentially won the whole match,” Tierney said.
Despite winning four out of six flights in singles play, Union sealed the win as Ammirati fell to her opponent, 7-6, (7-2), 6-3, in flight one.
In singles action, Grandville defeated her opponent, 6-0, 6-4, to win flight two while second-year Carol Tyson won flight three, 6-1, 6-0. Tierney took the victory in flight four, 6-1, 6-4, while Lewis won flight five, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Third-year Kirsten Delvecchio rounded out the line up in flight six, falling to her opponent, 6-1, 6-0.
The match that was initially scheduled for April 8 and then rescheduled for Friday, April 15, against Ithaca College was postponed indefinitely, as announced on Thursday, April 14 by the Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation.
Tierney said the team was disappointed because it’s always a very close match with good competition.
The Hawks faced adversity in an 8-1 loss against St. Lawrence University on Saturday, April 16.
With two ill due to food poisoning and one injured in warm-ups, the Hawks had to retire those respective matches.
Tierney said St. Lawrence was a very strong team and was proud and fortunate that they were able to pick up a point.
“I was also proud of Emi [Lewis], who was sick that day, stuck it out and gave her all in doubles and what she could play of singles,” she said. “She’s a tough one and exemplifies a truly dedicated player.”
Next up for the 7-6 Hawks is the New Paltz Tournament, which will be held Saturday, April 23 on the North Tennis Courts.
This year, the Hawks will end their season and play their all-doubles round-robin tournament against St. Thomas Aquinas (Div. II) and SUNY Cortland. In years past, more teams participated in the tournament, Bruley said.
To prepare for next season, Bruley said the team will be working on improving their doubles teams, something that he credited as a weakness this year.
“This tournament benefits the team and gives confidence going in if they get some good results,” Bruley said. “Doubles is all about chemistry. The more you play over a period of time, the better it is. We’re trying to make that right for next year and make another run in the conference championship and hopefully get to the final and get past Geneseo.”
