Tennis Drops Season Opener

Jadus wins her singles match. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki Jadus wins her singles match. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
Jadus wins her singles match. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
Jadus wins her singles match.
Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki

Ronald Hanaki
Sports Editor

On a sunny but slightly windy Sunday afternoon, the Caldwell University Cougars defeated ESU’s women’s tennis team 5-4 at Stroudsburg High School.

ESU’s season opener began with three doubles matches. ESU’s freshman tandem of Marina Zardet and Aubrianna Stetina beat Caldwell’s Shannon Donaldson and Claudia Romano 8-5, but ESU dropped its two other doubles matches.

Caldwell’s Tamara Klimek and Rebecca Ryan defeated ESU’s Amber Jadus and Kayla Loar 8-1, and Caldwell’s Janis Jimenez and Valeria Otarola beat ESU’s Devin Presby and Elizabeth Bartoli 8-2.

Six singles matches were played after the doubles matches ended.

In the quickest match of the afternoon, Stetina narrowly avoided a double bagel when she lost 1-6 and 0-6 to Caldwell’s Otarola.

ESU’s Lauren Morrissey beat Caldwell’s Debra Pellegrino 6-4 and 6-2.

ESU senior Amber Jadus plays number one singles for the team. That means that she has to face the best player from the opposing school.

Jadus was trailing 0-6, 0-2 in her match when her opponent suddenly announced that she had a right foot injury and could not continue play. Because her opponent retired, Jadus won the match.

In a competitive match that only saw two breaks of serve, Caldwell’s Shannon Donaldson beat ESU’s Bartoli 6-4, 6-4.

Junior Devin Presby is ESU’s number two singles player. After dropping the first set 4-6 to Caldwell’s Rebecca Ryan, Presby showed good hands at the net to keep the second set on serve at 3-3.

The ensuing game would feature a lot of rallies as Presby struggled mightily to hold her serve. After a long battle, Presby would drop her serve for the only service break in the second set.

Now trailing 3-4, Presby went on to lose the second set 4-6 and the match.

ESU’s Zardet and Caldwell’s Jimenez played the only match that went three sets. It was also the longest match of the afternoon. Match point came on Jimenez’s serve. Zardet would win her match after Jimenez’s forehand sailed long and out of the court.

After the win, Zardet was congratulated with high fives from the assistant coach and the head coach. Zardet was the only ESU player to win both her doubles match and her singles match.

The Warriors (0-1) return to the hard court on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Bryn Mawr.

Email Ronald at:
rhanaki@live.esu.edu