Richmond rises up for narrow win

The women’s tennis team’s nonconference showdown against Richmond this weekend proved to be much more noteworthy than advertised.

Despite losing 4-3 to a team that was winless before entering Levy Pavilion, several of the Quakers (4-3) achieved some personal accomplishments, including freshman Connie Hsu’s 15th doubles victory and 30th singles victory.

The rookie, along with senior Alexa Ely, won the first doubles match, 8-3, clinching their 15th victory this season when paired together.

“I felt shaky [early in the match] and Connie said she did too … [but] we were able to pick each other up,” Ely said. “She doesn’t really like calling plays but anything I tell her to do, she does — like when I say hit an ace out wide, she hits an ace out wide.”

This sense of teamwork and trust, combined with the ability to execute plays, has allowed the No.1 pair to flourish all season.

“I am a more conservative player,” Hsu said. “She’s more aggressive, so it’s a good mix. We tell each other what to do.”

Overall, the Quakers picked up the doubles point, as sophomore Jules Rodin and junior Emily Wolf won the third doubles match 8-5.

In singles play, Hsu notched her 30th win of the season and her seventh of the spring. In seven undefeated matches this spring, she has only dropped six games total.

Coach Sanela Kunovac has been impressed with the freshman’s consistency.

“She’s always been steady, so what we are working on is adding new dimensions,” Kunovac said.

“Connie from September to today is as steady and as confident,” she continued. “[We are trying] to get her to be a little more aggressive but mentally just as tough.”

Self-described as “conservative,” Hsu acknowledged that an emphasis on playing a more aggressive style in practice has helped her improve.

Despite the personal successes, the Quakers were unable to make a comeback, with the bottom three ladder players all losing in straight sets.

With the overall match out of grasp, Penn freshman Jaime Yapp-Shing continued to battle, rallying in three sets to defeat Richmond sophomore Alexandra Smyth to end the day on a positive note.

“We needed to start with a lot more energy,” Kunovac said.

“We were down pretty quickly in first sets … but across the board all of them made an effort and made a match out of the second set.”

The Quakers will attempt to put the narrow loss behind them as they prepare for Sunday’s afternoon affair with Stony Brook.

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