After splitting the six singles matches and triumphing in doubles play, the Georgetown women’s tennis team (3-1) edged the James Madison Dukes (2-1) by a score of 4-3 on Saturday to extend its win streak to three matches.
“It’s the type of thing where you don’t have everyone playing their best tennis, but the beauty of this team is that we have girls who will step up when the other ones aren’t playing their best tennis, and vice versa,” Head Coach Gordie Ernst said. “It was really good from a team aspect.”
While James Madison beat Georgetown in each of the past two seasons, the Hoyas turned the tide on Saturday with several impressive performances. Georgetown earned victories in the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 6 singles slots. Sophomore Victoire Saperstein notched the first win for the Hoyas in singles play, defeating senior Taylor Pinchoff 6-3, 6-3.
After Saperstein’s win, James Madison began to take over. Sophomore Sophia Barnard, senior captain Sophie Panarese and freshman Daphne de Chatellus all fell in their matches. Barnard’s and Panarese’s contests both went to three sets, while de Chatellus’s match was also close, as evidenced by the 6-4, 7-6 (1) final score.
However, junior Liselot Koenen switched the momentum of the contest when she won in the No. 4 singles spot, beating James Madison freshman Dylan Owens in a three-set battle.
“I think the big story was Liselot coming back from being down to win her match. … Liselot did not play her best tennis and totally found a way to win,” Ernst said. “She said, ‘All right, I’m going to figure this out.’ And that’s the way tennis goes.”
Next, freshman Casey Marx scored a clutch victory for the Hoyas, earning her first singles win of the season in the No. 6 slot.
“For Casey, a freshman, being the last match on to decide the win — she showed great poise and confidence,” Ernst said. “She played more fearlessly, and that’s what you look for in a freshman. She wasn’t afraid of the opportunity — she seized it.”
Even though the Hoyas’ doubles play was not always reliable last season, this time it was vital to the win. Panarese and Koenen teamed up to win in the No. 1 slot by a score of 7-5. Barnard and Saperstein fell at No. 2 doubles, but the freshman duo of Marx and de Chatellus edged the Dukes in a tight contest which resulted in a 7-6(5) score.
“I actually was concerned in their doubles match — it was slipping away from them — but then they turned it around,” Ernst said of the freshman duo’s doubles battle.
The 4-1 Invitational Match last weekend challenged both Marx and de Chatellus, shining a spotlight on their status as freshmen and the overall youth of this year’s squad. However, the two proved that they have the ability to compete at the collegiate level. In fact, Marx’s win at singles clinched the win for the Hoyas.
This year’s contest was similar to last year’s, as both matches were extremely close. JMU has been a strong competitor against Georgetown for several years, and the Blue and Gray certainly did not underestimate their opponent. The Hoyas and the Dukes now stand at an even 2-2 head-to-head record over their past four meetings.
This match marks Georgetown’s second consecutive tight contest. . Last weekend, they closed out the 4-1 Invitational Match with a 3-2 victory over Campbell.
The 3-1 start should be encouraging for the Hoyas, especially considering the fact that they began last season with a 1-3 record. Georgetown hopes to continue to build momentum in New York, where it will face the St. John’s Red Storm (1-0) in its first Big East matchup of the season Feb. 6.
“We’re 3-1 going into St. John’s now, and it’s all confidence,” Ernst said. “It’s definitely going to help us.”
The Georgetown men’s tennis team (2-0) will also compete with St. John’s (1-2) on the same day, followed by a match against Marist (1-2) on Feb. 7.
