A busy week for the Plattsburgh State Tennis team kicked off with the Cardinals honoring their seniors for Senior day.
Kelci Henn and Emily Griffin were the two seniors for PSUC this season, but they had two different stories of getting to this point.
Henn has been a part of the team since her freshman year and worked her way up to being elected the senior captain of the team this season.
Griffin joined the team over the past summer and was instantly welcomed by her teammates.
“I couldn’t be happier with the dynamic and how welcoming the girls are,” Griffin said.
Following the ceremony, the Cards (9-3, 2-2) defeated Northern Vermont University at Johnson (4-7) by a final score of 9-0.
PSUC then hosted a match Saturday against SUNY New Paltz (4-0, 4-0), their fourth SUNYAC conference match of the season. The Hawks left Plattsburgh with a 9-0 sweep over the Cards. The loss pushed the PSUC’s SUNYAC record back to 2-2.
The New Paltz match was also the first defeat of the season for the pairing of Henn and Nadine Ciardulli.
The week ended Sunday against Mount Saint Mary College (4-2). The Cards walked away with another 9-0 shutout.
PSUC head coach Annmarie Curle knew the importance of having a busy schedule this time of the season.
“This was a very important weekend for our team,” Curle said. “We are continuing with our attempts to improve every single game.”
The win on Sunday improved PSUC’s record to 9-3 overall, with two of the losses coming at the hands of SUNYAC opponents.
Tina Mitsoglou, who went 2-1 over the past three matches, stressed the importance of getting wins against SUNYAC opponents.
“Our SUNYAC matches are very significant to place our team higher in the bracket, and I believe our team maintains constant determination and a competitive mindset with every match we walk into,” Mitsoglou said.
The fate of the Cards’ season will likely depend on the results of the final three matches, which will be played this weekend at the Binghamton Tennis Center.
All three of the final opponents for PSUC this season are SUNYAC teams.
The Cards will open the weekend Friday at 4 p.m. against the The College at Brockport (2-8, 0-4). The Golden Eagles currently sit at the bottom of the SUNYAC standings.
PSUC then has a 10 a.m. game, Saturday morning against the SUNY Geneseo (5-0, 4-0). The undefeated Knights come in sitting at the top of the SUNYAC.
The final regular-season game is against SUNY Fredonia (11-1, 3-1). The Blue Devils boast the most overall wins among SUNYAC teams and a perfect 7-0 record on the road.
A tough end of the season schedule could end up hurting the Cards in the final seeding for the SUNYAC Tournament. PSUC currently sits in fifth in the standings.
Email Alex Hoffman at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
