CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 22, 2017) – The future looks bright for the Rutgers University-Camden women's tennis team.
The Scarlet Raptors, whose main starting lineup is composed of two sophomores and four freshmen, closed the season on a high note here Sunday as they defeated Penn State-Brandywine, 9-0.
Rutgers-Camden, which had won only one match in each of the past two seasons, doubled that combined victory output this year as it finished the season at 4-7. It is the most wins for the program since it went 5-7 during the 2014-15 scholastic year.
On Sunday, without one of its main players, the Scarlet Raptors still managed to sweep against the Nittany Lions, who brought only four players to the match and finished the season at 0-4. Rutgers-Camden won by default at third doubles and at both fifth and sixth singles.
The doubles teams who won on the court were made up entirely of freshmen, as
Jenna O'Lexy (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) and
Anna Archut (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) posted an 8-1 win at first doubles, while
Lexi Sample (Newfield/Delsea Regional) and
Abby Banner (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Cedar Creek) combined for an 8-0 win at the second flight. The Raptors' third doubles team on the day, sophomores
Danielle Lemma (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) and
Trinh Nguyen (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling), won by default. Lemma, a team co-captain, normally plays at first doubles with fellow sophomore co-captain
Annalise Kipp (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford).
O'Lexy played at first singles, posting a 6-2, 6-1 victory, while Lemma notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles. Sample and Banner played at third and fourth singles, respectively, and also recorded 6-0, 6-0 wins.
Both freshman
Anna Archut (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) and Nguyen won by default at the fifth and sixth singles spots, respectively.
O'Lexy and Banner both finished the season with 7-4 records in singles. O'Lexy went 2-0 at first singles and 5-4 at second singles. Banner,
pictured above, was 3-0 at the fourth spot and 4-4 at fifth singles.
Kipp went 5-4, all at first singles, while Lemma was 6-5 in singles (1-1 second, 5-4 third).
In doubles, Kipp and Lemma combined to go 4-5 at first doubles, while O'Lexy was 2-0 in that spot, winning once apiece with Sample and Archut as a partner. She was 4-4 at second doubles teamed with Archut. Banner and Sample combined to go 3-4 overall in doubles (1-0 second, 2-4 third).
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