Tennis One of Few Successful Teams at HVCC

“We’re gonna win again,” senior Emily Qua predicted before the Lady Vikings match against Mohawk Valley Community College Saturday. By the end of the day, that prediction became a reality.

Hudson Valley improved to 3-0 on the early season with a 6-3 result over the Lady Hawks. Jenna Brophy, Katie Vogal, and Nicole Cassidy each one their singles matches in two sets. In doubles action, Janel Weaver and Elizabeth Batchelder won their match 8-4.

Along with playing against each other, both teams had to face another opponent; the wind. The girls were having a hard time adjusting to the weather conditions. At first, both teams seemed frustrated but in the end the Lady Vikings showed their grit and made the necessary adjustments.

After Saturday’s win, the Lady Vikings will be one of the few teams that have a winning record on campus. However Coach Denise Potenza although happy with three match winning streak thinks that the team still has a tough road ahead.

“It will be a competitive season based on what we saw last year,” Potenza said.

This season they are becoming the first women’s tennis team to win a conference title since 1998 when they won the Regional Championship as well.

However, these girls would be playing this sport if it wasn’t for tennis great Billie Jean King who opened the doors and promoting it. King just recently had a court dedicated to her during the U.S. Open that took place earlier in the month. Coach Potenza recalls one of King’s finer moments promoting women’s tennis.

“I remember her playing Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match.”

This match in particular happened in September 1973 in Houston, Texas where King defeated Riggs in straight sets and proved to be one of the finer moments in women’s tennis history.

The girls’ next match is Thursday at Delhi. The first serve is at four pm.