Some teams pick the perfect time to play their best, and for the Binghamton University women’s tennis team, its best play will be what it needs if it hopes to win a conference championship.
With a full slate of home matches this weekend, the Bearcats had the opportunity to pick up two wins and extend their impressive season.
This past Sunday, junior Lauren Bates became the third player in program history to reach 70 career singles wins on a day that the Bearcats routed Temple University 6-1. The win was the fifth straight for Binghamton, bringing its record to 12-2.
Bates had a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and teamed up with sophomore Emma Leibowicz for an 8-1 win at second doubles. Junior Anna Edelman beat Josephine Bergman 7-6 (2), 6-3 at second singles, and then teamed up with sophomore Marina Bykovskaya to win 8-4 at first doubles.
Bates ranks third on the all-time wins list, behind Zeynep Altinay and Lya Kushnirovich, who have 86 and 84 career wins, respectively.
This past Saturday, Binghamton defeated America East foe UMBC 5-2 after sweeping the doubles matches and capturing the opening doubles point. The win was the team’s 17th straight regular season match won against conference opponents.
At first singles, Bates defeated Alice Chen of UMBC 6-3, 7-5 and teamed up with Leibowicz for a 8-2 win at second doubles. Edelman and Bykovskaya won 8-1 at first doubles against Chen and Heidi Danielsson. Edelman and Bykovskaya also won at second and fifth singles, respectively.
The match was closer than the score indicated, as four of the six singles matches went three sets, with each team winning twice.
This season, the Bearcats are looking to dethrone a Boston University squad that has won 16 consecutive America East championships, and 20 in the last 21 years. The Bearcats have made the last two America East finals, but have been unable to get past the dynasty that the Terriers have created. The AE tournament is scheduled for the weekend of April 30.
Binghamton is in the midst of one of its best seasons in program history, with the potential for its best winning percentage in the team’s tenure in Division I.
The Bearcats are set to face Albany on the road at 3 p.m. this Wednesday.