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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Tennis | Women Rally to Defeat Williams, Men Build Confidence

Sophomore Risa Nakagawa won her No. 3 singles match against Linda Shin 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 on Tuesday in Georgetown’s victory over Williams. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)
Sophomore Risa Nakagawa won her No. 3 singles match against Linda Shin 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 on Tuesday in Georgetown’s victory over Williams. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)

In a continuation of its successful 2017 campaign, the Georgetown women’s tennis team defeated Williams College on Tuesday at Georgetown Visitation. Head Coach Gordie Ernst has preached consistency and effort all season — two traits the Hoyas continue to embody on the court.

The Hoyas’ (8-3) match against the Ephs featured an inauspicious start, as the Blue and Gray fell 2-1 in the doubles point. The duo of senior Margaret Psyhogeos and sophomore Sydney Goodson, competing in the No. 2 position, provided the sole doubles point with a 6-3 victory. Junior Daphne de Chatellus then fell to the No. 6 singles match to put the Hoyas in an immediate two-point hole. However, Georgetown rallied to win the next 5 points on its way to defeat Williams.

Highlighting the successful comeback was the top of the Blue and Gray’s singles lineup, including senior Victoire Saperstein and junior Sara Swift. Saperstein dominated her opponent in a clean 6-0, 6-0 sweep, while Swift did so in a 6-2, 6-2 triumph. To round out the comeback, the Hoyas relied on a trio of gritty three-set victories. Goodson in particular, earned Ernst’s praise.

“I can’t speak highly enough about Sydney’s performance. Yesterday in singles, she played a girl who’s beaten her a number of times in the juniors, and that usually wears onsomeone, but Sydney used those losses to her advantage,” Ernst said.

Goodson defeated her Williams opponent 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the No. 4 singles match, while sophomore Risa Nakagawa provided the clinch point with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 triumph in the No. 3 match. Rounding off Georgetown’s successful day, senior Sophia Barnard rebounded from a first set loss to prevail 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

After a week-long break from competition, the Georgetown men’s team (3-7, 0-1 Big East) returns to conference play against St. Johns University in Flushing, N.Y. this weekend. Coming off a 5-2 loss to Xavier, the Hoyas expect a similar tough competition against the Red Storm. Ernst insists that the team’s success will depend on their confidence.

“The guys now believe in themselves enough that it will come down — even St. Johns is pretty good and they win the Big East a lot — to a handful of points … The question is, can we win those [points]. Can we be better on that day? ” Ernst said.

Following the conference match against St. Johns, Georgetown will travel upstate to face Marist University (6-2) in Poughkeepsie. The Red Foxes host the Hoyas in the midst of a hot streak, as they have won five out of their last six matches. Marist may have cooled down, however, as the match with Georgetown is their first competition in nearly two weeks. For the Hoyas’ third match in three days, they will host Bates College (1-4, 1-1 NESCAC).

The men’s team begins its weekend of competition against St. John’s at 10 a.m. Friday before travelling to Poughkipsee, N.Y. to take on Marist Saturday at 11 a.m. The Hoyas finish the weekend back in D.C., hosting Bates at 11 a.m. Sunday.

 

The women’s sole competition of the weekend is at St. John’s Friday at 12 p.m.

 

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