POUGHKEEPSIE – The Vassar College women’s tennis team played short-handed Saturday afternoon due to injuries and sickness, but that didn’t hurt the Brewers as they opened Liberty League play with victories over Bard College and Union College. VC took down Bard 9-0 Saturday morning in Walker Field House, before traveling to Schenectady, NY to knock off the Dutchwomen 8-1.
Vassar 9, Bard 0
The Brewers were without Kate Christensen and Vista Grinde but that didn’t affect the outcome as many other players stepped up for the victory. Due to the rain, the match was played indoors which affected many of the players due to the early morning start and the slick surface. Vassar got an early 1-0 lead thanks to Connie Yoo and Morgan Flournoy earning a win at No. 2 with a score of 8-1.
The Brewers doubled their lead thanks to Lauren DiFazio and Ashley Fair, who won their No. 3 doubles match with an 8-3 score line. Top pairing for Vassar Shayna Becker and Tara Edwards shook off Harriette Slagle and Lily Schwartz of Bard 8-1 to sweep the doubles play.
In singles, Yoo started action with a clean 6-0, 6-0 win over Slagle at No. 3, while Flournoy clinched the victory for Vassar with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Bella Martinez at No. 4 singles.
Edwards would pick up her second win of the morning at No. 2 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Amelia Tiemann, and DiFazio added another win to the ledger with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph at No. 5 singles.
Becker would have no issues at No. 1 for the Brewers, as the senior won all 12 games in a 6-0, 6-0 win, while Fair clinched the sweep at No. 6 singles with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Lily Zacharias. Vassar moved to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in conference action with the win.
Vassar 8, Union 1
The second match of the day with Union was pushed back to 6:00 p.m. due to having to come inside to Sportime Courts, but the Brewers trudged through the conditions to earn an 8-1 win and move to 2-0 in Liberty League play.
In doubles, Yoo and Flournoy were back at it with their second win of the day at No. 2 doubles, knocking off Natalia Pezzuco and Paige Webster 8-4. DiFazio and Fair also were able to outlast their opponents at No. 3 with an 8-5 win to put VC up 2-0, while Edwards and Becker secured another win for Vassar with an 8-5 win at No. 1 to claim all three doubles points.
In singles, DiFazio completed the perfect day with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Alex Greenberg, and Flournoy also chalked up her fourth win of the day with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4 over Mina Hsia to clinch the win for Vassar. Yoo was pushed by Webster at No. 3, but earned a 6-4, 6-0 win for her fourth win of the day. Junior Dasha Ivenitsky earned a win at No. 5 singles with a 6-4, 6-1 victory as well to put the Brewers up 7-0.
The most exciting match of the day was at No. 1 singles, as Edwards and Natalia Pezzuco played a thriller that went to a super-tiebreaker. Pezzuco was strong in the first set, taking a 6-2 set victory but Edwards came back with a 6-2 win over her own to tie the match at one set apiece. In the super, Edwards and Pezzuco went back-and-forth but the Vassar freshman outlasted her opponent 14-12 for the triumph.
The final match would go to the home team though, as Pronchick defeated Becker 6-4, 7-5 for the lone win for the Dutchwomen.
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