Knights Tennis Sweeps the Utica Pioneers
Photo courtesy of Geneseo Knights
After a flawless 7-0 sweep of Utica on Sunday afternoon, the SUNY Geneseo women’s tennis team secured its third win of the season and continued to dominate in Empire 8 conference play.
On Sunday afternoon, the SUNY Geneseo Lady Knights women’s tennis team swept the Utica Pioneers in a quick match, ending with a score of 7-0. Defeating the Pioneers brought them their third win for the season along with a record of 2-1 for conference play.
When the Knights had started doubles play, the competition was nowhere to be found. In less than 30 minutes, all three doubles teams had won their respective matches and were ready to move on to singles play. First doubles junior Natalie Pipes and sophomore Joann Catalano were the first off the courts with a score of 6-0.
The second doubles team of junior Talia Wutz and freshman Ashleigh Fredriksen were not far behind and won with a score of 6-0. Their win secured the doubles point for the Knights so they could get a head start on the scoreboard. Wutz had great net play during the set and worked well with her partner.
Sophomore Emily Kamber and senior Emily Rowe also made their debut for the season at third doubles. Even though it was their first match, they made quick work of the Pioneers with a score of 6-1. The team was incredible at the net, forcing their opponents to make errors throughout the game. Rowe was a powerhouse with her serves and simply could not be stopped.
During the changeover from doubles to singles, the Knights were aware that they would have to keep the intensity high if they wanted to come out of this match with a win. With that goal in mind, that is exactly what they did as they moved into an equally impressive singles set.
First singles Natalie Pipes won her match 6-0, 6-1. The fast win out of the gate boosted the Knights’ confidence and increased the score of the match to 2-0. The win brought her record to 3-2 for the season. Junior Samantha Rava also won at second singles with a score of 6-0, 6-0.
Sophomore Rachel Molloy had an amazing match at third singles, winning 6-0,6-0. She did not let her opponent have a single game, claiming a “double bagel” for the match. Despite the sun in her eyes, she was able to end several points with overhead volleys.
On the next court, Joann Catalano went 2-0 for the day, gaining a 6-0, 6-0 win at fourth singles. The shutout wins seemed to be contagious for the rest of the team, because down the lineup, the Pioneers did not win a single game. It was also clear that at this point in the match, there was no hope left for the Pioneers as their door to victory was shut by the Knights.
Adding insult to injury for the Pioneers, Talia Wutz at fifth singles and freshman Lauren Levitano at sixth singles both secured 6-0, 6-0 wins, both of which gave the Knights the final matches they needed in order to call this match a sweep.
The win on Sunday also helped Catalano and Pipes earn doubles team of the week for the Empire 8 conference. Be sure to catch the Knights for their last home match of the season on Saturday, Oct. 4 for senior night!