Scott BresslerWashington University’s women’s tennis placed third at the UAA Championships, bouncing back from a 2-1 deficit in doubles play to defeat the University of Chicago 6-3.
The Bears entered singles play after winning only one doubles match against New York University in their opening match. “Our doubles is always really close and it’s improving,” freshman Kalee Cassady said. “Our singles always comes through. We’re right there.”
Wash. U. then cleaned up in singles with four wins to defeat NYU 5-3 in the quarterfinals. Freshman Karina Kocemba led in the second singles but the game was left unfinished after her teammates won their singles. Kocemba teamed with classmate Jaclyn Bild to win the only doubles match against New York.
With the win, the Bears advanced to the semifinals where they fell to eventual UAA runner-up Carnegie Mellon University 7-2. It was a tough battle for the Red and Green as the last four matches went to three sets.
Sophomore Allison Dender and Kocemba teamed together to pull off the only doubles win in the number three slot while freshman Elise Sambol won the only singles match in the number six spot against Carnegie Mellon. Sambol prevailed in a spirited rally, dropping the first set 1-6 before coming back to take the second and third 6-3 and 6-4.
“It was a challenging match,” Sambol said. “It was mentally challenging because it required a lot of mental patience.”
According to Sambol, as she looked up she saw several of her teammates engaged in three-set battles. “I thought we could pull it off,” said Sambol. “We all wanted it.”
Cassady took her match against Carnegie Mellon’s Ashley Herrick to the wire, winning the first set 6-4 before falling 7-5 and 7-6. Kocemba was also engaged in a tough fight but fell 7-5, 2-6 and 6-4 against Carnegie’s Jennifer Chui.
“We were so close in the end,” Cassady said. “Those matches could have gone either way.”
Wash. U. faced a familiar foe in Chicago after playing them twice before. “We knew we could beat them,” Kocemba said.
Wash. U. defeated them the last time they played against each other to take third at the Midwest Regional Invite.
The tandem team of Kocemba and Bild were the only pair to prevail in doubles as they sweated out the narrow 9-7 win.
Down 2-1 after doubles play, Wash. U. was not worried. “We’ve been in that situation a lot,” Kocemba said. “We know singles is our strength.”
The Lady Bears built on their momentum as Kocemba, Bild, Dender, Cassady and Sambol won each of their singles matches. “We’re deeper than most teams,” Kocemba said.
The Lady Bears dispatched each of their foes with straight sets.
The No. 14 Bears will now wait for news on their post-season fate, which will be announced on April 28.