Rams blank Dubuque in season finale, 9-0
Cornell’s women’s tennis team wrapped up its non-traditional spring season with a landslide victory over the University of Dubuque, 9-0, on the road Sunday afternoon.
Coach Trent Schneider’s senior-less Rams concluded a successful 2022-23 campaign at 11-11 in dual competition. The team’s 11 wins are the most in a season since 2018-19, when the Rams finished 12-9.
The Rams won all seven contested matches against the Spartans, stamped by a hard-earned 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 victory from Audrey Small at No. 1 singles. Small also claimed an 8-0 win with No. 2 doubles partner Kylie Jacobson.
Small finished with a team-high 28 wins in her first season with the Rams, including a 15-8 singles mark.
First-year Ashley Drake also notched her 15th singles win of the year, blanking her No. 5 singles foe 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 singles player Wies Kleingeld rolled 6-1, 6-0. Kylie Jacobson recorded a 6-0, 6-0 shutout at No. 3, while Ashley Mink was a 6-2, 6-1 victor at No. 4.
Cornell’s No. 1 doubles tandem of Makayla Johnson and Kleingeld prevailed 8-7, winning an 8-6 tiebreaker.
The Rams received default wins at No. 3 doubles (Ann Bradley and Emma Shipley) and No. 6 singles (Josalin McKeever).
Earlier in the week, the Rams lost to Loras.
Cornell freshman Audrey Small earned her team-leading 14th singles win of the year in the Rams’ women’s tennis 8-1 loss against Loras College on Thursday at the Tucker Tennis Courts.
Small’s win came at the No. 3 spot against Loras’ Sara Backus 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
Kylie Jacobson at No.4 singles fell behind early after dropping her first set 6-4 against Loras’ Leia Papanicholas. She battled back in a second set to take it in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3) to head into a third set. Jacobson would eventually fall 10-5 in the third set.
Doubles play saw the Rams keep it competitive with an 8-5 loss at No.1 with Makayla Johnson and Wies Kleingeld, an 8-4 loss by Jacobson and Small at No. 2, and an 8-4 loss at No.3 by Ashley Mink and Josalin McKeever. Loras jumped out to an early lead behind each of their doubles wins.