The Syracuse women’s tennis team swept its competition this weekend, beating Seton Hall University, the University of Buffalo, and Cincinnati University on three consecutive days. With a combined score of 19-2 for the weekend, the Orange improved to 7-1 on the season and 3-0 in Big East Conference play.
Though none of these teams holds as impressive a record as Syracuse (UC 1-6, Seton Hall 1-5, Buffalo 2-2), all three teams fought extremely hard and made Syracuse work for every point, game, set, and match.
All starters for the Syracuse Orange displayed incredible talent this weekend, as they showed an amazing drive to fight for every shot, no matter if they’re winning 5-0 or at the mercy of the opponent’s match point.
“The girls are total competitors,” SU assistant coach Chuck Wiggins said. “This is a high energy group in excellent physical shape.”
The Orange demonstrated their excellent athleticism specifically with their play at the net. In nearly every match during the three-game stretch, there were instances of the girls hitting a net shot that was completely unreachable for the opponent.
Syracuse excels at ball placement, and spectators can literally see them planning out where their next shot will be and how to defeat the competition. In singles matches SU’s girls managed to direct the ball to the opposite side of the court that their opponent was on, while in doubles they aimed right down the alleys, making returns difficult and often weak.
The players also display their athletic abilities through their running game, as they continuously run between the baseline and the net. On multiple occasions during the Seton Hall rout Friday, the opposing Pirates would send a high lob over the heads of the Syracuse team member at the net.
Amazingly, the Orange managed to recover and sprint back to the baseline and return the ball – often catching the opponent off-guard and winning that point. The girls used this running game for offense as well, as they made their challengers run and tired them out. Often times, SU employed a game plan of outlasting the competition and waiting for their competitor to make a mistake.
Serving the ball also seemed to come easily to the Orange. Freshman Maddie Kobelt was especially impressive with her dominating serve that proved to be too much for her opponents, as she swept all six of her singles sets over the weekend.
Kobelt also competes in first doubles with partner Emily Harman. Harman struggled early in the doubles match Sunday against Cincinnati, recording multiple double faults, but with the aid of Kobelt, she managed to get herself back on track.
This weekend was noteworthy for Harman personally as well, as she defeated Bearcat sophomore Jasmine Lee, 6-1, 6-3. Harman recorded her 80th career victory. Her overall record is 80-37, and she is currently 7-1 this year in singles and 5-3 as part of a doubles team.
The team and coaches showed great pride for Harman and her milestone, but they showed equal excitement for every other matchup throughout the weekend as well. During the matches, the SU players do a systematic “double high-five” after each point, either as a congratulatory gesture for a winning point, or a reassuring one after a missed shot.
Syracuse has nearly a week to bask in its weekend sweep and current six game winning streak before facing Boston University on the road Saturday, February 20th, at 10:00 a.m. The terriers hold a four game winning streak currently and have a 4-2 record overall.
