ALFRED, N.Y. -- In a road battle that went back and forth, the Oneonta women's tennis team came away with a 4-3 victory over Alfred University, Friday afternoon. Senior
Haley Peck (West Point, N.Y./James I. O'Neil) and junior
Annika Cripe (Islip, N.Y./Islip) each won in doubles and singles play, and freshman
Reagan Knapp (/) recorded her first collegiate victory and clinched the match point for the Red Dragons to improve to 2-0, while the Saxons dropped to 0-1.Â
"So proud of our team for fighting through a greuling 4-hour match to earn a huge win over a tough opponent that beat us last year," said Head Coach
Brian Roser. "Securing the early doubles sweep gave us crucial momentum heading into singles, where the team dug deep through multiple set tiebreakers and three-set battles."Â
Oneonta started the match by sweeping all three courts for the doubles point. Peck and Cripe overwhelmed Alyssa Seegert and Becca Epping on court one, 6-4. Sophomore duo
Dakota Jimenez (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) and
Ashley Glaviano (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) also defeated their opponents, Alexis Gits and Anastasia Shaw, 6-4, on court three, and junior
Taylor Plue (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) and sophomore
Kiersten Rufrano (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) walked away with a 6-3 victory over Allison Windisch and Elizabeth Madsen on court two.
Both teams traded matches with each other in singles play, but it was the Red Dragons that came out on top with wins from Peck, Cripe, and Knapp. Peck handled Seegert in straight sets in her singles match on court one, 6-1, 6-3. Cripe fought for her victory on court two against Madsen. After the junior Red Dragon earned the first set, 7-5, Madsen took the second set, 6-4, to force the third. In the third set, Cripe gained the upper hand and won the match, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
With one court remaining and the match tied at three, Knapp was competing against Shaw on court six. The Oneonta freshman cruised in the first set to win it 6-2, then Knapp went back and forth with her Alfred opponent in the second set before winning her match, 6-2, 7-5, clinching the Red Dragons match point.
"A special shout out to freshman
Reagan Knapp (/) for clinching the walk-off win at #6 singles in her collegiate debut!" Coach Roser exclaimed. "Outstanding start to the season, looking forward to keeping this momentum going.
In the other singles matches, Plue and Jimenez each came up short in the third set. Plue forced the third set on court three after winning the second set against Epping in a set tiebreaker, however Epping took the match, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3. Jimenez also forced a third set in her match with a 6-2 second set on court 5 against Gits, but the Saxon slipped by, 6-4, 2-6, 10-7. Rufrano fell to Windisch on court four, 6-2, 6-0.
The Red Dragons are back home for their next match on Tuesday, September 15, against Russell Sage at 4 pm at Dr. Heissan '63 Tennis Courts.
