Nancy Gabaldon
Contributing Writer
Both men’s and women’s tennis are nearing the end of the season in preparation for the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which begins April 14 for the men at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville and April 22 for the women in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The men’s team ended its season with a 4-1 win against the College of William and Mary last Wednesday. Freshman Vitor Lima and junior Daryl Monfils got the early lead in a doubles win. Graduate student and No. 1 seed Michal Voscek led the team with a nail biting match against W&M.
Voscek closed his last VCU home match with a 6-4, 7-5 win. Voscek has performed well for the Rams for the past four years and is in his final season at VCU.
The men’s team expected to play its last match on April 9 against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, but the competition was cancelled due to inclement weather and will not be rescheduled.
Injuries have caught up with the Rams just prior to the A-10 tournament. Freshmen Arvid Noren is going into the A-10 with an injured groin. Noren played Wednesday against William and Mary, but whether he will play during the tournament is ultimately head coach Paul Kostin’s decision. Kostin has yet to report on Noren’s health going into the A-10.
Last Friday the women’s team played against crosstown rival University of Richmond. Senior Olga Barshcheuskaya maintained her reign as No. 1 6-4, 6-0 win during her final home match at VCU.
Freshman and No. 2 seed Ana Rasmussen defeated U of R with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win. Sophomore Dasha Berezhnaya lost in a tough match where she won the second set 6-3, but ultimately lost in the third set tiebreaker 13-11.
Many were surprised when tennis player Sam Groth showed up to watch the match. The Australian player holds the record for world’s fastest tennis serve at 163 miles per hour. Another highlight of the match took place when students from the Mary and Frances Club Youth Center showed up to support the players. The women’s tennis team thanked the kids for their showing and gave snacks and t-shirts.
The women’s have three matches left against Winthrop University, Norfolk State and James Madison University. They have won the A-10 Tournament for the past three years.