The Plattsburgh State women’s tennis team came out last weekend with two more wins after beating Oswego State on Saturday and Lyndon on Sunday.
The Cardinals beat Oswego 5-4 in their last home match with strong showings from Kelci Henn and Sierra Barrett. The freshmen duo of Nadine Ciardulli and Erin Wiggins was the only victory seen in the doubles matches for PSUC. They went on to sweep Lyndon 9-0 the next day.
“What I think went well was our team focus and how aggressive we took and wanted the lead,” Ciardulli said. “We stepped it up as a team and worked hard.”
Assistant coach Karen Waterbury was also pleased with how the team performed in both of their matches this past weekend, noting how the girls were “extremely competitive.”
“Kelci Henn was the last one on the court and the match was tied 4-4,” Waterbury said. “She battled the Oswego player.”
Oswego was the more competitive game of the weekend, as it was a more challenging team. The Cards were able to sweep Lyndon State in a 9-0 victory.
“Lyndon was just a pretty easy win for us to be honest,” Waterbury said. “We were much stronger of a squad than they were overall.”
PSUC is happy with how well the women have worked together in tough situations and are seeing improvement from all the hours put into the sport.
“We all love being together and having fun,” Ciardulli said. “We are always there for one another. Whether we say good hit or rally across three courts is how we help and motivate others.”
Barrett is also impressed with how her fellow teammates share a common goal when on the court and stay focused on that goal.
“I think it really helps when we’re all working together and focusing on the same goal,” Barrett said. “And like a team goal instead of just your individual goals.”
Right now the Cards are going to be training for their next matches, which are the SUNYAC tournament.
They will be working on some of their weaknesses, as well as getting stronger in other aspects of the sport.
“We’ve got two weeks to prepare,” Waterbury said on Monday. “But the athletes know that really at this point they’re focusing in on the areas they really need to improve upon. So individually they’re gonna focus on those areas.” Although PSUC does have a small break from having matches, they won’t be taking it easy. They plan to keep putting in the work and doing what it takes to finish off their season on a high note.
“I think for our next match we really just want to focus on being efficient and really performing how we’re practicing,” Barrett said. “Just putting it all together basically for the end of our season.”
The Cards are next scheduled to play Oct. 14, which is the start of the SUNYAC tournament held in Binghamton, New York. The outcome of that match will determine if the women’s season will continue.
Email Annika Campbell at sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
