Women’s Tennis Downed by Quinnipiac in MAAC Finals

WEST WINDSOR, NJ – The Marist women’s tennis team fell to the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 4-3 Sunday afternoon in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship. After dropping the doubles point the Red Foxes battled back and took a 3-2 overall match lead but eventually fell in the overall match.

Quinnipiac started the match out strong winning 6-0 at the third doubles position when Jennifer Lu and Proyon Lohaphaisan defeated Melissa Carlay and Lisa Ventimiglia. The Red Foxes fought back on the opposite courts and brought the other two matches to within a game.

However, the Bobcats closed out the doubles point at the first doubles position when Rachel Horton and Sydney Young defeated Karlene Pang and Chloe Lant, 6-4. Caroline Lozo and Ariel Shulman’s match against Sophia Dzulynsky and Sitilia Rencheli went unfinished with Quinnipiac leading 5-4.

After Quinnipiac’s Lohaphaisan beat Marist’s Elizabeth Brozovich, 6-0, 6-4, to take a 2-0 match lead it looked as if the Bobcats would run away with the overall match. The Red Foxes battled back however and won three matches in quick succession to take the overall match lead.

On court four Shulman defeated Lu in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Then just minutes later her doubles partner, Lozo took down Quinnipiac’s Horton 6-3, 6-2. After playing an impressive match, Lant put the Red Foxes ahead 3-2 when she beat the Bobcat’s Rencheli in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

After both dropping their first sets, Pang at the first singles and Schmitz at the fifth singles, the two Red Foxes used the energy and momentum from the other courts to battle back and extend their matches to third sets.

Quinnipiac’s Young proved to be too much for Schmitz as she closed out the Marist sophomore, 6-0 in the third set to knot the overall match score at 3-3 with one match remaining on the court.

Pang found herself down on multiple occasions in the third set but came back each time to put pressure on Quinnipiac’s number one. After winning two straight games to bring the set score to within two, Quinnipiac’s Dzulynsky put Pang away with a 6-3 victory in the third set and clinched the overall match for Quinnipiac.

The Red Foxes finish the season 8-13 overall and 5-2 in conference play falling just short of the programs fifth MAAC Championship and first since 2013.

Full Results
Doubles
1. Rachel Horton/Sydney Young (QUW) def. Karlene Pang/Chloe Lant (MARW) 6-4
2. Sophia Dzulynsky/Sitilia Rencheli (QUW) vs. Caroline Lozo/Ariel Shulman (MARW) 5-4, unfinished
3. Jennifer Lu/Proyfon Lohaphaisan (QUW) def. Melissa Carlay/Lisa Ventimiglia (MARW) 6-0

Singles
1. Sophia Dzulynsky (QUW) def. Karlene Pang (MARW) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
2. Caroline Lozo (MARW) def. Rachel Horton (QUW) 6-3, 6-2
3. Chloe Lant (MARW) def. Sitilia Rencheli (QUW) 6-3, 6-4
4. Ariel Shulman (MARW) def. Jennifer Lu (QUW) 6-4, 6-2
5. Sydney Young (QUW) def. Claire Schmitz (MARW) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
6. Proyfon Lohaphaisan (QUW) def. Elizabeth Brozovich (MARW) 6-0, 6-4