Rams streak into A-10 tournament
Senior Anna Rasmussen sealed the match for the Rams with a 6-2, 6-0 win. Photo by Jon Mirador
Jaron Nutter, Contributing Writer
Noah Fleischman, Sports Editor
Tennis was victorious this week — the women knocked off Richmond April 16 and the men defeated UNC-Wilmington April 13.
Women’s
The Black and Gold defeated cross-town rival Richmond April 16 on the road 4-0 in a dominating fashion.
VCU started off taking the doubles point from the Spiders. The sophomore duo of Melissa Ifidzhen and Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado won the first doubles match for the Rams 6-2. The second sophomore pairing of Sofia Sualehe and Marina Alcaide Bakkari took the second doubles match 6-4, sealing the doubles point for the Black and Gold.
Exposito Diaz-Delgado, who is No. 77 in the country, continued her hot start, winning her singles match 6-2, 6-0. Ifidzhen was the second Ram to finish her singles match taking down the Spiders’ Ana Ramirez 6-0, 6-1. Senior Anna Rasmussen closed the match out for the Rams when she won her singles match 6-2, 6-0.
Men’s
The Rams defeated UNC-Wilmington 4-3 on the road April 13. The win capped off another successful season regular season for the Rams as they prepare for the Atlantic 10 Championship.
The Seahawks took the lead early in doubles. Bruno Caula and Agus Savarino defeated the Rams’ freshman Rayane Stable and junior Javier Amantegui 6-4. VCU responded quickly when senior Philip Mobius and junior Inaki Rivero Crespo beat Josh Hublitz and Michael Copeland 6-4. The duo of senior Arvid Noren and sophomore Inigo Torre Martin sealed the doubles victory for VCU, taking down Michael Morphy and Cole Groetsch.
In singles, UNC-Wilmington got ahead of the Rams early. Caula defeated Mobius in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. The Rams responded again in the proceeding match after Torre Martin continued his winning ways and beat Copeland in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. Davide Innocenti got the best of Amantegui in straight sets to give UNC-Wilmington the lead. Savarino followed up and defeated Noren in three sets 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to stretch the Seahawks’ lead to 2 points. The Rams finished strong however, as Rivero Crespo recorded another win for the day and beat Leo Spovieri 7-6, 6-3. Stable bounced back after his doubles loss and won over Austin Hussey in a close match 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to close VCU’s rally.
The win moves VCU to 13-9 and an undefeated 3-0 in conference play. UNC-Wilmington drops to 10-10 and has yet to record a win in its respective conference.
The Rams will gear up to defend their Atlantic 10 title April 24 in Orlando, Florida.
