The women's tennis team snapped a four-match losing streak with style Wednesday, dominating the University of Connecticut in a 7-0 victory at the Pizzitola Center.
The Bears (4-6) were in desperate need of relief after a schedule that included three straight matches against top-25 opponents. The Huskies, while a solid team, were certainly beatable and presented an opportunity for Bruno to gain some momentum heading into the Ivy season.
"We were definitely the favorite," said Head Coach Paul Wardlaw. "Getting this win is great for our confidence heading forward."
The Bears played with a swagger that had been noticeably absent in previous weeks. The team did not lose a single match against the Huskies, a feat they had been unable to attain all season.
Daisy Ames '07 and Kara Zeder '07 kicked things off with a convincing 8-1 victory at first doubles. Sara Mansur '09 and Brett Finkelstein '09 followed at second doubles with an 8-4 win, and Amanda Saiontz '07 teamed up with Alexa Baggio '09 to complete the sweep in the doubles draw with an 8-0 shutout.
There was no drop-off in performance in the singles portion of the contest, as every Bear won in straight sets with the exception of Zeder, who edged out a three-setter in a gritty win.
Ames had posted a disappointing 0-9 record at first singles coming into the contest but cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Ames's struggles have been particularly noticeable because of her impressive fall season and the closeness of nearly every match she has played this spring. Yesterday's win provided much needed vindication for her.
"I needed to win and I had to win," she said. "I've had a rough start, but despite losing all those matches I feel I am better prepared than I've ever been in my life."
Another player who attracted attention was Baggio, who dropped a total of one game against the Huskies, winning 8-0 in doubles and 6-1, 6-0 at number six singles. The success of Baggio, who does not play as often as fellow first-years Finkelstein and Mansur, showed the depth of this year's squad.
The Bears will travel to Florida this weekend to play two final matches before the Ivy season kicks off at home against Princeton April 7. The trip to Florida will be the first outdoor matches of the spring for the team, and Wardlaw thinks the importance of that is often overlooked.
"The main purpose of our trip this weekend is to get used to playing outdoor tennis," he said. "It's a completely different game outdoors. The points tend to be longer and there exists a distinctive mindset. This will be good preparation for the Ivies."
