BROOKYLN – In its last Northeast Conference match of the regular season, the Sacred Heart women's tennis team topped conference leading LIU Brooklyn 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers ended a three game losing streak in the process and are now 6-8, while they end the NEC regular season at 2-2. The Blackbirds fall below .500 to 6-7 with their first conference loss of the year in four matches.
SHU defeated LIU in four of the five singles matches, and won the sixth by default. Hours off of her Northeast Conference Play of the Week award, Katie DeRienzo continued her stellar play by sweeping the defending NEC Player of the Year, 6-2, 6-4. She has now won 13 of her past 14 matches to improve to 18-4 overall, including 10-1 in dual play and a perfect 4-0 in league action. Also extending a winning streak was Lindsey Post, who won her second straight, 6-3, 6-4, at second singles. Post moved to an even 7-7 in dual play with the victory.
Also picking up victories in straight sets for Sacred Heart was Nicole Rydzewski and Taylor Gurda, who each moved one game over .500 in the process. Rydzewski cruised to a comfortable, 6-2, 6-1, victory at third singles. Gurda had to battle for the first set by way of a tiebreak before pulling away in the second, 6-2.
As the Blackbirds could only put together two doubles pairs, SHU only needed to win one of the two matches, and it was DeRienzo and
Sabrina Navarro Lopez who provided the victory for the point. Paired together for the first time all season, the two teamed for an 8-2 triumph at second doubles.
The Pioneers will play the first of their two remaining non-conference matches at UMass this Sunday, April 12 at 1 pm. The Northeast Conference Championships held at the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. will begin next Friday, April 19.
Singles
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1. DeRIENZO, Katie (SHU) def. LOUWERS, Sanne (LIU) 6-2, 6-4
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2. DANS, Marine (LIU) def. OLSON, Paige (SHU) 6-1, 6-3
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3. RYDZEWSKI, Nicole (SHU) def. WAGENER, Isabella (LIU) 6-2, 6-1
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4. POST, Lindsey (SHU) def. ZONNEVELD, Nancy (LIU) 6-3, 6-4
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5. GURDA, Taylor (SHU) def. HUSSAIN, Juweira (LIU) 7-6, 6-2
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6. NAVARRO, Sabrina (SHU) def. No player (LIU), by default
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Doubles
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1. LOUWERS, Sanne/DANS, Marine (LIU) def. OLSON, Paige/POST, Lindsey (SHU) 8-5
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2. DeRIENZO, Katie/NAVARRO, Sabrina (SHU) def. ZONNEVELD, Nancy/WAGENER, Isabella (LIU) 8-2
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3. GURDA, Taylor/PEZZULLO, Emma (SHU) def. No player/No player (LIU), by default
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