Tennis heads to SUNYAC tourney as No. 2

The Plattsburgh State tennis team (7-3) is coming off a two-match winning streak as it heads into this weekend’s SUNYAC tournament.

PSUC took on Johnson State College at home last Friday, and the Cardinals started off strong winning their No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches.

The rest of the match played out the same way as the Cards won all six singles matches, sweeping the board 9-0.

“On paper, we looked stronger than they were. I guess we proved that to be the case, but you always have to be careful that you don’t overlook something, so we did a good job staying focused,” PSUC head coach Mark Stata said.

On Saturday, PSUC headed to Oswego looking to continue its winning ways.

Jessica Paquette and Samantha Engebrecht started the match by winning the No. 1 doubles match, 8-0. Rachel Hodnett and Caitlin Belladone won the No. 2 doubles match, 8-1, while Samantha Fasciano and Stephanie Omlin did the same in No. 3 doubles.

In singles play, the Cards did not slow down. They won in dominant fashion, allowing only one game to go three sets.

In the No. 5 matchup Jackie Bogdon took on Haley Miller. Bogdon won the first set, 6-1, before losing the second set, 6-3. The third set went to a tiebreaker, which Bogdon won, 10-7, giving the Cards a 9-0 victory.

“It was good to beat Oswego because they’re a rival school,” Hodnett said. “It was definitely good communication and teamwork.”

The Cards will head to Binghamton Friday for the SUNYAC tournament. They have the No. 2 seed in the East bracket, which pits them against the No. 3 seed of the West bracket, Fredonia.

PSUC beat Fredonia last season in the same tournament, and Stata said he likes his team’s chances against the Blue Devils this year.

“I’m feeling like we have a good shot against them. I’m sure the players will as well,” Stata said.

He said it is hard to tell how much a team has improved or declined over a year, but this year’s Fredonia team doesn’t seem much different than last year’s.

“I think they’re kind of close to the same team we played last year. I don’t think they’re way different,” Stata said.

If the Cards win their first match, they would most likely play West bracket No. 1 seed Geneseo in the second round for a chance to place in the top four.

Injuries have troubled PSUC all season, but it looks as if the team is healthy now.

Engebrecht, who injured her wrist in prior matches, said she is ready to play in SUNYACs.

“My wrist just kind of hurts when I play, but I wrap it and it’s not really that bad,” she said. “It was bothering me a lot a week or two ago but it’s getting better.”

This team has grown very close over the past few years, and it is a melancholy moment for teammates who know they may never play together again on a collegiate level.

“The team’s really close, and we like spending time together,” said Hodnett. “We’re still going to spend time together when tennis is over. I think that’s important.”

Email Colin Bentley at
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