Seton Hall University
Connecticut
Tennis Clipped at UConn, 5-2
4/8/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
STORRS, CONN. – Playing for the second time in three days and up against a fifth BIG EAST opponent in a 14-day span, the Seton Hall tennis team came up short at UConn on Sunday afternoon, falling 5-2 to the Huskies.
Less than 48 hours after picking up their second conference win of 2013 with a 7-0 drubbing of Villanova, the Pirates (5-10, 2-3) were back on the court, this time on the road against a Connecticut team that entered the day with four wins in its last five matches.
The Huskies jumped out to an early lead, claiming the first two doubles matches that were completed to secure the 1-0 advantage heading into singles competition.
Despite surrendering the team point, the pair of Rocio Portela (Demetrio Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) and Chloe Sher (Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong) shone again at #1 doubles for The Hall, picking up their eighth victory in their last 10 appearances with a comfortable 8-2 decision over Abby McKeon and Lucy Nutting.
The two juniors have combined for 18 total wins between tournament and head-to-head play in 2012-13 and now boast an 11-4 mark (.733) in dual match competition.
The Pirates struggled to find their footing as singles play began and Connecticut wrapped up the team victory by prevailing in straight sets in each of the first four singles matches to be decided.
SHU captured the final two matches of the day however, with Sher and senior Karina Cordero (Maracay Estado Aragua, Venezuela) each scoring victories at the #1 and #6 positions respectively.
Seeking her 10th dual match victory of the season, Sher delivered a commanding performance from atop the singles lineup, downing Srna Stosljevic, 6-3, 6-4. With the win, she closed the weekend unbeaten in singles and doubles. Sher also moved to 19-10 overall on the year in the process, a ledger that includes a 7-1 record against BIG EAST opponents between the fall and the spring.
To close the day, Cordero bounced back from a difficult second set to emerge victorious from the tiebreak and score for the second match in a row. After taking the first set from Marie Gargiulo, 6-4, Cordero only won a single game in the second frame. In the decisive set, the Pirates’ team captain put away the Connecticut junior to register a 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 victory.
Cordero shifted down to #6 for the first time since Feb. 15 at NJIT, the last time freshmen Julia Keenan (Greenland, N.H.) and Alex Landert (Naples, Fla.) were active in the singles lineup simultaneously, and just the second time all season. She has now won consecutive matches for the second time this year and the win was the third of her career in limited time spent playing in the sixth spot.
As the regular season draws to a close, SHU will take to the road one final time next time out, heading to Piscataway to battle in-state rival Rutgers. The match, the first of two this week for the Pirates, is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
Seton Hall 2, Connecticut 5
Doubles
1. Rocio Portela/Chloe Sher (SHU) def. Abby McKeon/Lucy Nutting (UCONN), 8-2
2. Srna Stosljevic/Maxie Weinberg (UCONN) def. Julia Keenan/Madison Shoemaker (SHU), 8-2
3. Marie Gargiulo/Jennifer Learmonth (UCONN) def. Anna Guryanova/Alex Landert (SHU), 8-3
Order of Finish, 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. Chloe Sher (SHU) def. Srna Stosljevic (UCONN), 6-3, 6-4
2. Maxie Weinberg (UCONN) def. Rocio Portela (SHU), 6-4, 6-3
3. Lucy Nutting (UCONN) def. Julia Keenan (SHU), 6-4, 6-3
4. Abby McKeon (UCONN) def. Alex Landert (SHU), 6-3, 6-2
5. Natalie Robson (UCONN) def. Madison Shoemaker (SHU), 6-2, 6-4
6. Karina Cordero (SHU) def. Marie Gargiulo (UCONN), 6-4, 1-6, 10-7
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3, 5, 1, 6
