By Alvin Halimwidjaya
The Rams picked up wins number 11,12, and 13 in a row over the weekend (Courtesy of Emily Sayegh/The Fordham Ram).
The Rams played three games over the past week, all resulting in wins. They beat Fairleigh Dickinson 6-1 on Wednesday, March 29, eked out a win over Duquesne 4-3 on Friday, March 31 and defeated Sacred Heart 6-1 on Sunday, April 2.
In its 11th consecutive win, Fordham started its day at the Hawthorn Rooney Tennis Courts by taking the doubles point. Sophomore Carina Ma and junior Estelle Wong beat Marta Ruszczynska and Shreya Pasricha 6-3, and the duo of freshman Maia Balce and junior Carolina Sa defeated Tatiana Eftenoiu and Liza Rachenko 6-1.
Fordham continued by dominating singles play, allowing only one loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. Though the Rams started off with a loss as Ma fell to Shreya Pasricha (FDU) 6-1, 7-5, Wong countered with a 6-4, 6-0 win against Tatiana Eftenoiu. Senior Mayu Sato notched an easy victory over Marta Ruszczynska 6-1, 6-1, while Balce came back to defeat Liza Rachenko 1-6, 6-1, 10-5. Sophomore Gianna Insogna capped off the victory by beating Patricia Eftenoiu 6-2, 7-5.
The Rams moved to the Springton Tennis Club in Pennsylvania to take on Duquesne in an A-10 conference matchup, narrowly winning 4-3.
Fordham started off by winning the double point once again. Though Ma and Wong dropped the Rams’ first doubles set against Kylie Isaacs and Julianne Herman 6-2, Balce and Sa notched a win against Zuzanna Stelmaszak and Ally Miller 7-6, and Sato and sophomore Alexis Zobeideh completed the comeback by defeating Megan Wasson and Laurel Shymansky 6-4.
Fordham and Duquesne went on to win three singles points each. Ma defeated Kylie Isaacs 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and Julianne Herman countered with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Wong. Balce beat Megan Wasson 6-3, 6-4, while Mayu Sato came from behind to earn a victory over Ally Miller 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Duquesne ended the day with two wins, as Aishwarya Kona defeated Insogna 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and Laurel Shymansky bested senior Destiny Grunin 6-0, 6-4.
Fordham returned to the Hawthorn Rooney Tennis Courts for a Senior Day matchup against Sacred Heart. The Rams earned the doubles point; a 6-2 win from the duo of Wong and Ma and a 6-3 victory from the combo of Sato and Zobeideh overcame a 6-3 loss by Balce and Sa.
Fordham handled Sacred Heart easily, as Ma started off by defeating Brianne Lauria 6-0, 6-2. Wong notched a back and forth win over Taylor Gurda 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, while Sato beat Claudia Ruiz 6-3, 6-3. Insogna took an easy victory over Tori Oates 6-0, 6-1, and though Grunin fell to Maggie Glynn in a tough match 4-6, 6-4, 11-8, Zobeideh capped off the win by earning her second singles win of the year, beating Nicole Vassalle 6-0, 6-3.
The Rams’ next match is on April 7 as they face A-10 opponent St. Joseph’s to Philadelphia, PA.
