Ironically, after sophomore Jules Rodin and freshman Jaime Yapp-Shing battled through a nail-biting tiebreak match to gain the doubles point, the women’s tennis team suffered, rather than benefited from the win.
After the exhausting match, Rodin struggled in her singles match, while Yapp-Shing was sidelined for the remainder of the afternoon.
The dropoff appeared to carry over to rest of the team, and the Quakers ultimately fell to Stony Book, 4-3, this Saturday at the Levy Tennis Pavilion.
Things started off looking good for Penn (4-4) in the doubles round. Rodin and Yapp-Shing defeated their Stony Brook opponents by winning the tiebreak, 12-10, ending the match with a 9-8 victory.
Coach Sanela Kunovak said that the match showed how determination and focus will secure a win, “regardless if things are going in your favor or not.”
But in singles, Penn ran into trouble. Of the six singles matches, only freshman Connie Hsu and sophomore Emma Whitfield won, by scores of 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-4, respectively.
Rodin, who was visibly frustrated during her doubles win, faltered during her singles match, dropping the match, 6-0, 6-2. Meanwhile, the trio of Alexa Ely, Stephanie Do and Daniela DePaoli kept it close but also lost down the stretch.
The silver lining in the loss came from Hsu’s performance. She notched her 31st win of the season, and is now ranked No. 15 this week by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
“She’s a very good competitor,” Kunovak said. “We’re proud of her. She’s very grounded and a great example for the team.”
Coming off the loss, the team will be working on the “basics,” with a focus on elevating their intensity heading into Friday’s match against Saint Joseph’s.
