Bard Tennis Challenges Emerson Lions

By Noah Poll

LUDLOW, M.A. – The Bard women’s tennis team played a non-conference neutral site match against Emerson at Ludlow Tennis Club on Sunday afternoon.

At No. 1 doubles, Maya Kelly/Paige Houghton won a tight battle against the Lions’ top duo. The Raptors went up 40-0 in the final service game, giving them enough breathing room to take the set.

At No. 2 doubles, Emerson won over the Raptors’ pair of Malaya Zabala-Cornejo and Patricia Santos, but Bard’s team got to three deuce games and made 75% of their first serves. The Lions took third doubles over Jesse Radzik and Victoria Bagatcholon, clinching the doubles point.

Kelly was victorious at the No. 1 singles position, where she completed a comeback down 0-2 in the opening set. She controlled long baseline rallies en route to the win.

Zabala-Cornejo played No. 2 singles, falling behind a break early but winning her final three service games of the first set. She forced 23 errors with powerful groundstrokes but faced equally impressive firepower from her opponent.

At No. 3 singles, Houghton fell in the first set, 6-2, but came back as she won the second set, 6-3. Unfortunately, she could not complete the comeback as she fell in the third set tiebreak, 12-10.

At No. 4 singles, Santos had a better read on her opponent in the second set, getting used to a floaty backhand, but the Lions’ player countered to take the match.

Bard’s No. 5 singles player, Radzik, grinded out seven games against her opponent. At 3-4, 0-30, Radzik won six of the next nine points to take the advantage 4-4, 40-30, but her opponent closed out the match.

Bagatcholon played in the No. 6 singles spot, but couldn’t find her rhythm. Her opponent forced her to play defensive, with short rallies and flat shots setting the tone for the match.