The Boston University women’s tennis team almost never loses a match in the America East. The team almost never loses any match, and unfortunately for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, BU’s dominance seems to never end.
The Terriers (8-2, 3-0 America East) easily defeated the Blazers (4-10, 1-2 Conference USA) 6-1 at the Track and Tennis Center on Monday.
“We were somewhat familiar with [UAB], playing them three times in the past six years,” said BU coach Lesley Sheehan. “Overall, we played very well.”
BU swept through the initial doubles round to post its first point of the meet. Senior Lindsey Dynof and sophomore Aimee Charest combined gracefully to win 8-5 at the No. 1 spot. In the second tilt, freshman Erin Katims and senior Elena deMendoza slipped by their opponents 8-6. Finally, in the third match, the tandem of sophomore Laura Ahmes and senior Elisa Glas cruised to an 8-4 victory.
In singles action, the Terriers posted five wins in six individual matches. Dynof easily won her match 6-2, 6-1 at first singles. At the No. 2 spot, deMendoza had to survive a tiebreaker to win her match, 6-7, 6-2 (10-1). The No. 3 tilt saw Katims a winner 6-1, 6-1 while Glas won at fourth singles when UAB’s Julia von Samson retired after losing the first set 6-3.
At the No. 5 spot, Ahmes cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win. Finally, in the last spot, UAB notched its lone point when freshman Samrin Tanzeem defeated Charest 6-3, 6-4.
“We played some of our best tennis,” Sheehan said. “We played very well and came off really strong.”
The victory over the Blazers was the second in a row for the Terriers, who defeated Syracuse University (3-10, 2-1 Big East) 6-1 on March 12. In that match, BU dropped a point at the No. 1 singles spot, and after winning the second match on a tiebreaker, went on to sweep the remaining singles matches after dominating the three doubles matches.
Prior to defeating Syracuse, BU dropped a heartbreaker to Florida Atlantic University, 4-2, on March 9. The loss halted the Terriers’ then-three-game win streak, as the Lady Owls (12-3, 2-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) opened the meet winning the first two doubles matches to grab the first point. From there, the Terriers only won two of their five singles matches to take the loss.
Prior to that defeat, the Terriers started Spring Break on the right foot, sweeping away Seton Hall University (4-9, 1-1 Big East) 7-0 on March 8. The shutout was the Terriers’ fifth on the young season. Despite earning all seven possible points, BU struggled to do so, fighting through some tough competition in five of its six singles matches. The Terriers also dropped one doubles match, but won the other two to earn the point.
Over the four meets, Sheehan said Charest and her doubles partner Dynof, who were each 3-1 in their four singles matches, were key pieces of the victories. The pair was 3-0 in its doubles matches, and Sheehan recognized them as two players who really stepped up their games.
“[Charest and Dynof] played very well,” Sheehan said. “However, our team has done very well and we are playing well as a team. No one stands out more than another.”
The team next competes against the University of San Francisco on Wednesday at the Track and Tennis Center.
“We’re not sure what to expect,” Sheehan said. BU will be facing the Dons (5-4, 1-2 West Coast Conference) for the first time.
However, if they hold court, the Terriers have no need to worry – the numbers almost always seem to be on their side.
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