Maltz halts Leso comeback to give Pride 5-4 win over Seahawks
NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University senior Valerie Leso (West Warwick, R.I.) had survived six match points against her in doubles and singles play versus Springfield College women's tennis today, but Pride senior Kristi Maltz (Waterford, Conn.) angled a volley off a short lob on another match point to clinch No. 5 singles and the team score, 5-4, for the visitors.
Leso and her doubles partner, Nichol Stevens (Chester, Conn.), led 6-3 in their eight-game pro-set at No. 2 doubles before Siana Green (Pomfret, Conn.) and Erin Woodbury (Yarmouth, Maine) ran off four straight games to take a 7-6 lead. The schools split the other two doubles matches with Ana Gwozdz (Taunton, Mass.) and Erin Phillips (Morristown, N.J.) winning 8-3 at No. 1 for Salve Regina while Maltz paired with Sarah Morgan (Wakefield, R.I.) for an 8-2 decision at No. 3.
The Green/Woodbury duo was one point away from giving Springfield a 2-1 edge after doubles, but Salve Regina rallied behind Stevens' serve to come back from a love-40 hole and even the match score at 7-all. The Seahawks nearly broke at love the next game, taking an 8-7 lead with a chance to win it on Leso's serve.
The senior built a 40-love lead before clinching the match on the fifth point when the return of serve went into the net.
"Getting the 2-1 lead after doubles was necessary because we knew we had our work cut out for us just to win three singles matches," said Seahawk head coach Ed Habershaw.
Springfield won the first two completed singles matches with Vanessa Senecal (Seekonk, Mass.) taking No. 3 against Gwozdz (6-2,6-2) and Green besting Jessica Moore (Middletown, R.I.) at No. 4 (6-4,7-5). Moore had rallied from down 5-2 in the second set to even the score.
Stevens, the only Seahawk to win her first set, followed with a straight-set win at No. 2 (6-3,7-5) over Woodbury to tie the team score at three apiece. Amy Shaw (Walpole, Mass.) earned a hard-fought point at No. 1 (6-2,7-5) and Springfield was one win away at either No. 5 or No. 6 singles.
Maltz had won her first set in a tiebreak (9-7) after trailing 6-3 in the breaker. Leso overcame a break of serve in the second set and forced a third set with an overhead smash winner in the 10th game.
Meanwhile, Salve Regina sophomore Karlee Walther (Natick, Mass.) came from a set down to force a third and deciding set at No. 6. Walther won the 12th game of the second set to force a tiebreak. Amy Buttarazzi (Scarborough, Maine) took an early 2-0 lead in the tiebreak before Walther won seven of the next eight points.
Maltz had now built a 5-1 lead in her third set but Leso fought off two match points in the seventh game to find positive energy on the changeover. Leso subsequently took command of the set and reeled off five games in a row. Leso served for the match at 6-5, had match point twice, but Maltz survived to force a tiebreak for the match.
Walther was serving in the ninth game of her third set to take a 5-4 lead when Maltz spoiled the Seahawk uprising with her rush of the net and sharp, angled volley. Walther finished with a 6-4 triumph in the third set after Springfield (5-7) had clinched the match.
The Pride have now won five straight meetings with the Seahawks who fall to 10-5 overall. Salve Regina will host the eighth annual Megs™ Doubles clinic on Sunday, April 10 (1:30-2:30 p.m.) for all Aquidneck Island youth.
Tennis Match Results
Springfield vs Salve Regina
04/03/11 at Newport, R.I.
(Leroy Avenue courts)
Springfield 5, Salve Regina 4
Singles competition
1. Amy Shaw (SPR) def. Erin Phillips (SRU) 6-2, 7-5
2. Nichol Stevens (SRU) def. Erin Woodbury (SPR) 6-3, 7-5
3. Vanessa Senecal (SPR) def. Ana Gwozdz (SRU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Siana Green (SPR) def. Jessica Moore (SRU) 6-4, 7-5
5. Kristi Maltz (SPR) def. Valerie Leso (SRU) 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2)
6. Karlee Walther (SRU) def. Amy Buttarazzi (SPR) 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Ana Gwozdz/Erin Phillips (SRU) def. Vanessa Senecal/Amy Shaw (SPR) 8-3
2. Valerie Leso/Nichol Stevens (SRU) def. Siana Green/Erin Woodbury (SPR) 9-7
3. Kristi Maltz/Sarah Morgan (SPR) def. Elise Jones/Jessica Moore (SRU) 8-2
Match Notes:
Springfield 5-7
Salve Regina 10-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,4,2,1,5,6)
Leso/Stevens saved four match points at No. 2 doubles
Leso saved two match points at No. 5 singles
Maltz saved two match points at No. 5 singles
Official: self-officiated T-4:38 A-64