Tennis Completes Puerto Rico Trip; Men Sweep Trio of Matches

The University of Hartford men's and women's tennis teams completed their spring break tour of Puerto Rico on March 27 against the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. The men completed a sweep of their three Puerto Rico opponents with a 5-2 triumph over Mayaguez. The women dropped a 4-3 result.

Previously, the men posted victories against University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, 7-0, in San Juan, and against the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon, 6-1, in Bayamon. The Hawk women fell, 5-2, to Rio Piedras earlier in the week.

The Hawk men swept all seven points in their opening match against Rio Piedras. The top-three singles players for the Hawks, Jordan Badenko, Marco Neves, and Nicholas Sharwarko, surrendered fewer than three games apiece in their respective victories. Badenko won a 6-2, 6-1 result at the top spot while Neves posted a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 2. Sharwarko notched the most lopsided result, winning 6-0, 6-1.

Seniors Josh Isaacson and Bogdan Nedelcu, as well as freshman Luis Montes, also notched singles victories Monday.

The men kept rolling Tuesday with a 6-1 win over Bayamon. The Hawks earned the doubles point and then picked up victories in the top-five singles matches. Badenko, Neves, Sharwarko, Montes and junior Alex Holdstein all recorded singles victories.

Making his first appearance of the trip, Holdstein earned a 6-1, 6-0, win at No. 5. Also starting for the first time on the trip, senior Edgardo Ureta fell in a three-set match, 6-3, 2-6, 10-3, in the No. 6 position.

The men completed their three-match streak with a 5-2 win over Mayaguez thanks to strong play at the back of the lineup. The Hawks earned victories in the Nos. 3-6 singles matches to earn the win. The Hawks also swept the three doubles matches against Mayaguez to take the doubles point.

Montes, a native of Guaynabo, P.R., went 3-0 in singles play and 1-0 in doubles competition during the three-match trip. Montes played out of the No. 5 slot against Rio Piedras and Mayaguez. He started at the No. 4 post against Bayamon. Montes kicked things off with a 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 win against Rio Piedras before rolling to a 6-1, 6-1 victory Tuesday against Bayamon. The freshman wrapped his trip with a three-set win over Miguel Colon of Mayaguez after pairing with Alex Holdstein for an 8-1 doubles win Wednesday.

Katina Zampas, Colleen Beck, and Jessica Galik recorded singles victories against Mayaguez. Zampas, a senior, recorded a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Maria Sepulveda out of the top singles spot. Playing at No. 2, Beck, a freshman, posted a 6-4, 6-2 win. Galik notched a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Mara Colon at the No. 3 singles position.

Zampas and Galik also teamed up for an 8-4 win in the No. 1 doubles match, but Mayaguez earned the point with a win at No. 2 and a default win at No. 3.