SCHENECATDY, N.Y. -- The Oneonta women's tennis team bested Plattsburgh in SUNYAC play, 5-2, Monday afternoon in a rescheduled match held at Union College. Like each match this season, Oneonta gained the early advantage by securing the doubles point, then they clinched the victory by winning four singles courts. Junior
Taylor Plue (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) and sophomore
Dakota Jimenez (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) both won in doubles and singles play, as the win improved the Red Dragons to 8-0 this season, 4-0 in the SUNYAC, and the Cardinals dropped to 9-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play.Â
"Very happy with the conference win today, especially in the tough, windy conditions," said Head Coach
Brian Roser. "We beat a team that got the best of us last year that has also secured a place in the SUNYAC playoffs next weekend."
Plue and sophomore
Kiersten Rufrano (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) started Oneonta off strong by defeating Ava Perry and Carmen Marino on court two, 6-3. The win boosted Plue and Rufrano's doubles record to 6-1 this year.
Senior
Haley Peck (West Point, N.Y./James I. O'Neil) and junior
Annika Cripe (Islip, N.Y./Islip) came up short on the top court to Ava Carey and Jacklin Mitchell, 6-4.Â
Down to court three with the match tied, Jimenez and sophomore
Ashley Glaviano (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) faced Abigail Macdougal and Paige Westfall. Both teams traded games with another, but before the Cardinals could force a tiebreaker, the Red Dragon duo held them off to win the match, 7-5, and earn the doubles point. The win improved Glaviano and Jimenez's team record to 6-0 this season.
"Proud of the girls as we improved to 8-0 on the season," Coach Roser exclaimed. "And still haven't dropped a doubles point yet!"
The Red Dragons secured the victory after winning four of the six singles courts. Peck competed against Mitchell on the top court, where she gained the upper hand in a tiebreaker to win the first set. The Oneonta captain then beat her Plattsburgh opponent in the second set to win the match, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, and upgraded her singles record to 7-1 this year.
Cripe and Jimenez each won their respective singles matches in straight sets. Cripe cruised past Carey on court two, 6-2, 6-4, and is now an unbeaten 6-0 in singles play. Jimenez upended Tubo on court five, 6-1, 6-2, and elevated her singles record to 5-1 this season.
Plue defeated Perry on court three in a third set. The Red Dragon junior bageled Perry in the first set before the Cardinal forced a third set with a second set tiebreaker. In the third set, Plue handled Perry to win the match, 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, and improved her record to 6-2 in singles play.
Freshman
Reagan Knapp (/) battled Abby Macdougal on court six, but Macdougal took the second set tiebreaker and the third set for the match, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Rufrano came up short in straight sets on court four to Marino.
The Red Dragons are on the road for their final SUNYAC match on Saturday, October 10, when they travel to face Oswego at 1 pm. The winner of that match will clinch the one seed in the conference tournament, which takes place on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, and the Binghamton Tennis Center.
