Seton Hall University
Villanova
Pirates Race Past Villanova; 5-2
3/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 22, 2014
VILLANOVA, PA. - The Seton Hall tennis team swept three doubles matches sand went on to post four straight-set singles victories at Villanova on Friday, cruising to their sixth win in the last seven matches and the program's sixth consecutive victory over the Wildcats.
The Pirates (9-5) have now finished perfect in doubles competition in the last three matches after a switch in the lineup at #2 and #3 last week and The Hall has also scored victories in its last two appearances against BIG EAST opposition.
Seniors Rocio Portela (Demetrio Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) and Chloe Sher (Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong) have been a pillar for Seton Hall in the first doubles position all season and on Friday, the tandem extended their winning streak to five, downing Mikelle Mancini and Tori Smyth, 8-4. The duo now has come out on top in eight out of 10 dual match outings and owns 16 combined victories in 2013-14.
In the second and third slots, the re-united pair of Julia Keenan (Greenland, N.H.) and Madison Shoemaker (Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia) and the newly-formed team of Anna Guryanova (Moscow, Russia) and Hannah Liljekvist (Djursholm, Sweden) continued their winning ways as well.
The Hall's primary second doubles team a year ago, Keenan and Shoemaker went up against Connor Brewer and Linley Busby at #2 and improved to 3-0 since being paired together for the first time this season last week, winning 8-3.
Guryanova and Liljekvist also logged an 8-3 victory, knocking off Kate Pettee and Samantha Shafer for their third consecutive win as well.
The Pirates quickly wrapped up the team victory, their third-straight, by claiming the first three singles matches to be decided.
Keenan got it started with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Busby at #4, scoring for the seventh-consecutive match. The sophomore now holds an identical dual match record to the team at 9-5 and The Hall is 8-1 when she picks up a victory.
Portela followed with her fourth win in the last six matches, topping Smyth, 6-3, 6-4, in third singles action. The senior is now 2-1 in BIG EAST dual matches and boasts 12 individual victories between the spring and the fall.
The clinching point came courtesy of Sher at #1 as she remained unbeaten in March with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Mancini from the top singles position. With the win, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week became the first Pirate to reach the 10 victories in dual match play and has registered 14 overall to this point in her final campaign.
Villanova scored at #2 before Shoemaker was able to close out Brewer in the fifth position but the junior easily prevailed, 6-3, 6-0 against Brewer to improve to 6-1 in her last seven outings. With the result, Shoemaker now owns 11 spring victories and became the first Seton Hall player to reach 20 wins for 2013-14.
The Pirates will return home to close the weekend against Quinnipiac on Sunday. Start-time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and as a reminder, the location will be the NJIT Courts in Newark, N.J. - a switch from the originally scheduled site.
Seton Hall 5, Villanova 2
Doubles
1. Chloe Sher / Rocio Portela (Seton Hall) def. Mikelle Mancini/Tori Smyth (VU), 8-4
2. Madison Shoemaker / Julia Keenan (Seton Hall) def. Connor Brewer/Linley Busby (VU), 8-3
3. Hannah Liljekvist / Anna Guryanova (SH) def. Samantha Schafer/Kate Pettee (VU), 8-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles:
1. Chloe Sher (Seton Hall) def. Mikelle Mancini (VU), 6-2, 6-1
2. Samantha Schafer (VU) def. Hannah Liljekvist (Seton Hall), 6-2, 6-2
3. Rocio Portela (Seton Hall) def. Tori Smyth (VU), 6-3, 6-4
4. Julia Keenan (Seton Hall) def. Linley Busby (VU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Madison Shoemaker (Seton Hall) def. Connor Brewer (VU), 6-3, 6-0
6. Kate Pettee (VU) def. Julie Martiny (Seton Hall), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1, 2, 5, 6
