As the weather stays consistently warm and campus comes alive, spring sports at Drexel are in full swing. Sadly, this also means the men’s and women’s tennis teams are wrapping up their seasons. As we anticipate what next year’s season will look like, here is a quick overview on how the Dragons performed on the courts this year.
The Drexel men’s tennis season has seen a mix of wins and losses. The team finished the season with an overall record of 10-8. The season began strong for the team as they defeated both Villanova (7-0) and St. Joe’s (4-3) at home games and later Bucknell (5-2) at an away game. After losses to Penn State (6-1) and NJIT (5-2), the Dragons secured three straight wins against VCU (4-3), Lehigh (4-0), and Navy (5-2), before falling to Delaware (1-6).
The past month has consisted of highs and lows for the team with wins against schools such as Bryant (7-0), College of Charleston (4-3), Temple (4-0), and William and Mary (4-3) and losses to UNCW (2-5), St. John’s (2-4), Hofstra (3-4) and Monmouth (2-5).
Last Friday, the team traveled to Elon, North Carolina after earning the No. 6 seed to compete in the CAA Championships. The team fell once again to Monmouth (0-4) which was the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
Individually, Will Burridge was named CAA Men’s Tennis Player of the Week after his successful weekend against Bucknell and Penn State. Additionally, sophomore player Josue Guzman was named the CAA Men’s Tennis Co-Player of the Week.
Drexel women’s tennis team has had an overall season of 7-9. The season started off strong with wins against FDU (5-2) and Siena College (4-3). The team lost to Syracuse (1-6) and started to gain momentum with two straight wins against Delaware State (4-3) and Villanova (4-1). However, it was short lived as they fell to Stony Brook (2-4), Temple (2-5), William and Mary (0-7), College of Charleston (1-6) , and UNCW (0-4). April brought mixed results for the team as they defeated Saint Joseph’s (5-2), but then fell three straight times against NJIT (1-6), Delaware (3-4), and Towson (3-4).
On Senior Day, where senior players Maddie Ricardo and Elisa Rigazio were honored for their contributions to the team, the Dragons defeated Monmouth with a 5-2 win. The final game of the season was against Hofstra, where the team ended the season with a 4-3 victory.
Players Elisa Rigazio and Sofiya Snitko were also named CAA Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week for their undefeated wins over Villanova and Stony Brook. The pair was then awarded this title for the second time in the season after their performance against Delaware, Towson, and Monmouth where they were 3-0 at the No. 1 doubles spot.
While the teams ended on different notes this season, both had their ups and downs – with some excellent wins and standout performances, and other unfortunate losses. Although the season has come to an end, we are looking forward to seeing what next season has in store for the Dragons.