Seton Hall University
Quinnipiac
Players Mentioned
Tennis Routs Quinnipiac; 6-1
3/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 23, 2014
NEWARK, N.J. - The Seton Hall tennis team extended its unbeaten streak to four on Sunday, easing past Quinnipiac, 6-1, at the NJIT Courts in Newark.
With the win, the Pirates improved to 10-5 in the spring and have now come out on top in seven of their last eight appearances dating back to the beginning of March. Further illustrating The Hall's dominance during their run of success, the victory over the Bobcats marked the sixth time during the stretch that Seton Hall has surrendered two points or less.
Through 15 matches, the Pirates have already doubled their win total from last season while setting a new single season high for victories in the program's seven years under head coach Greg Wyzykowski.
Quinnipiac claimed the first doubles match to be decided on Sunday, prevailing at #2 to move to within one win of clinching the doubles point. The Pirates battled back to come up with two wins in the remaining doubles matchups, moving ahead 1-0 heading into singles competition.
Seniors Rocio Portela (Demetrio Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) and Chloe Sher (Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong) leveled proceedings with their sixth-straight victory in the first doubles position, defeating Sophia Dzulynsky and Sydney Young, 8-6. The #9-ranked pair in the Northeast region according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), Portela and Sher are now 9-2 in dual match play and have recorded 10 wins in 13 spring appearances.
With the doubles point on the line, Anna Guryanova (Moscow, Russia) and Hannah Liljekvist (Djursholm, Sweden) outlasted Kelsi Oliphant and Daniella Reyes, 8-6, to score for the team and improve to 4-0 in their brief time as a tandem.
After squeaking by on the doubles court, the Pirates poured it on when singles play began, scoring in the first five matches to reach their conclusion and ultimately posting wins in the top-four positions.
Liljekvist got the rout started as she returned to form at #2, snapping a two-match skid with a convincing 6-0, 6-4 performance against Jacqueline Raynor. Despite the recent slide, the sophomore has triumphed in four of her last six matches overall and has tallied 14 wins in her first season in blue & white.
In the top spot, Sher also scored a straight-set victory over Dzulynsky as the senior followed up a 7-5 first set by blanking the Bobcats' #1 singles player in the second frame. The reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, Sher now owns an eight-match individual winning streak and boasts an impressive 11-3 record in dual matches.
At #3, Portela dropped the first set against Michelle Dassa, 4-6, but rebounded to take the second in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4). Dassa retired before the start of the decisive set, giving the Pirates the point and the team victory. For Portela, it was her second win this week and the Puerto Rico product has now posted consecutive victories twice in March alone.
The onslaught continued as sophomore Julia Keenan (Greenland, N.H.) fended off Young in their fourth singles showdown, earning a comeback victory in three sets. Keenan fell in the first, 3-6, then followed with a 6-3 set victory to force a third. The sophomore dropped only two games in the final frame, improving to 8-0 this month after falling in her last four outings in February. The win brought several milestones for Keenan as she reached the 10-win mark in dual matches and became the second Pirate to hit the 20-win plateau for 2013-14, joining junior Madison Shoemaker (Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia).
Freshman Julie Martiny (Brussels, Belgium) added the final point of the night for The Hall, downing Reyes, 6-3, 6-0 at #6. Martiny has added significant strength at the back end of the Pirates' lineup in recent weeks, prevailing in four of her last six matches after starting her dual match career with a 1-5 record.
Seton Hall will remain home where the team is unbeaten in four matches this spring for a matchup with former conference foe Connecticut on Friday, March 28. Start-time is currently slated for Noon and all are encouraged to attend as Portela and Sher will be honored on Senior Day for their tremendous contributions to the program over the last four seasons.
Seton Hall 6, Quinnipiac 1
Doubles
#1. Portela/Sher (Seton Hall) def. Dzulynsky/Young (Quinnipiac), 8-6
#2. Dassa/Raynor (Quinnipiac) def. Shoemaker/Keenan (Seton Hall), 8-4
#3. Anna Guryanova/Liljekvist (Seton Hall) def. Oliphant/Reyes (Quinnipiac), 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
#1. Chloe Sher (Seton Hall) def. Sophie Dzulynsky (Quinnipiac), 7-5, 6-0
#2. Hannah Liljekvist (Seton Hall) def. Jacqueline Raynor (Quinnipiac), 6-0, 6-4
#3. Rocio Portela (Seton Hall) def. Michelle Dassa (Quinnipiac), 4-6, 7-6 (4) Ret.
#4. Julia Keenan (Seton Hall) def. Sydney Young (Quinnipiac), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
#5. Kelsi Oliphant (Quinnipiac) def. Madison Shoemaker (Seton Hall), 7-6 (5), 6-2
#6. Julie Martiny (Seton Hall) def. Daniella Reyes (Quinnipiac), 6-3, 6-0
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5
