The Binghamton men’s tennis team dropped two matches in their trip to Virginia this weekend, losing, 6-1, to VCU and William and Mary on Friday and Sunday, while the women’s team won a hard-fought match on Saturday, taking down Quinnipiac, 4-3.
The bright spot over the weekend for the Bearcat men was the doubles play of senior Eliott Hureau and freshman Ludovico Cestarollo. The duo was the only doubles pair to win for Binghamton over the weekend, doing so in a resounding fashion.
After defeating VCU’s first doubles pair, 6-2, Hureau and Cestarollo kept the momentum going by not dropping a game in their 6-0 victory against William and Mary.
“They came out and had good energy, which translates well in doubles,” Binghamton head coach Nick Zieziula said. “There were a couple of missed opportunities early on, but they didn’t let it get them down.”
Despite the success of Hureau and Cestarollo, winning the doubles point continues to be an issue for the Bearcats. They have failed to take home the doubles point since defeating Bucknell on January 30.
In singles play, the Bearcats were only able to win two matches over the weekend. On Friday, senior Sid Hazarika defeated VCU’s Michael Voscek in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, at the first singles slot. On Sunday, Hureau added to his solid doubles performance with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 victory.
“We’ve got to stay calm and not start to panic and look at the scoreboard,” Zieziula said of his team’s singles play.
When facing opponents of the caliber of VCU and William and Mary, the Bearcats are not only looking for victories but for experience. With only four matches before conference play begins, the Bearcats will shift their focus from development and experience to getting into the MAC tournament.
“This is the level that we need to be ready for,” Zieziula said. “It’s going to give us a little bit of reflection when we go back to practice as to knowing what we need to work.”
For the women, the doubles point was the deciding factor in the match, as both teams grabbed three points from singles play. Seniors Shea Brodsky and Alexis Tashiro grabbed a 7-6 win at first doubles, while senior Agatha Ambrozy and sophomore Olga Ostrovetsky won, 6-4, at second doubles to win the point for the first time this year.
In singles play, the Bearcats grabbed the three points they needed to get a win on the day. Binghamton’s narrow losses at first and third singles in tandem with a loss at fourth singles were not enough for Quinnipiac, as they failed to grab the fourth point they needed for the win.
Victories for junior Annie DiMuro and Ostrovetsky got the Bearcats two points in singles play, while Tashiro’s 6-4, 6-3 victory gave the Bearcats the elusive fourth point.
The win over Quinnipiac marks the Bearcats’ second in a row, as they try to build momentum before beginning America East play on February 28.
The Binghamton men are set to hit the court next when they travel to Pittsburgh on Friday to face off against Duquesne University. First match is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Alpha Tennis and Fitness of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while the Binghamton women will look to extend their winning streak against St. Bonaventure this Friday.
First match is set for 1 p.m. from the Outdoor Tennis Center in Olean, New York.