Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Tennis team won its seventh straight match on Wednesday afternoon, blanking Dominican University, 7-0 at the Riley Family Tennis Courts to remain perfect on the season.
STAC opened things up with a dominant performance in doubles play, taking two matchups, with the third being uncontested due to lack of an opponent, to secure the team doubles point. The duo of Ebba Rosberg and Samanta Villegas Robles cruised to a 6-0 victory at No. 1, followed by Amaia Balaguer Brau and Eliza Mulder taking a 6-1 win at the No. 2 position.
Once the Spartans secured the doubles point, there was no turning back. St. Thomas Aquinas jumped right into singles play, taking all six singles matches from Dominican, with two matches once again going uncontested, to secure a win on the day. Amaia Balaguer Brau started the victory spree in the No. 3 slot, taking a 6-1, 6-0 victory from Nora Frederick. Ebba Rosberg followed the trend taking a 6-1, 6-1 triumph in the No. 1 slot from Rupkatha Mukherjee to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead roughly halfway through the afternoon. Vera Gak Anagrova took a 6-1, 6-2 win in the No. 4 spot to clinch the overall team victory, opening the door for No. 2 Samanta Villegas Robles (Win: 6-1, 6-0) to keep the shutout victory intact.
Ebba Rosberg, Samanta Villegas Robles and Amaia Balaguer Brau all went 2-0 on the day, winning their doubles and singles matches.
3. Ayesha Burnett & Alba Guijo (STAC) def. No Opponent (DUNY)
SINGLES
2. Samanta Villegas Robles (STAC) def. Vanya Tyagi (DUNY) 6-1, 6-0
3. Amaia Balaguer Brau (STAC) def. Nora Frederick (DUNY) 6-1, 6-0
4. Vera Gak Anagrova (STAC) def. Ava O'Brien (DUNY) 6-1, 6-2
6. Jemima Parkinson (STAC) def. No Opponent (DUNY)
Order of finish: 3, 1, 4*, 2
"I like the way we competed today", said Head Coach Dan Rockhill. "Our opponent was shorthanded, so it would have been very easy to lose focus and play somewhat carelessly. Fortunately, that did not happen."
"Our five players were stingy and were not interested in hemorrhaging points due to laziness. It was great to see Amaia healthy and back in the lineup. She well controlled her singles match and was able to collect her first collegiate win in doubles with Eliza."
"I am happy for Samy as she returned to form today. She drove the ball into corners and came in behind her groundstrokes getting to the net to finish points. She has been our warrior for two seasons and when she plays with the proper amount of aggression, she is a tough out anywhere in the lineup."
"It is going to be very important for us to practice with effort and energy every time we get on the courts", remarked Rockhill. "We simply cannot afford to take points off and we are not good enough to play at anything less than 100% if we expect to have continued success. The coaching staff is counting on our players to run down every possible ball and fight for every point. Those that do will be tough to beat and will find their way into the lineup."
"I really like this team and am looking forward to our match with UDC Friday. Our team has built their own confidence through hard work and I believe our girls are hungry for their next opportunity to improve."