For women’s tennis coach Sanela Kunovac, a game isn’t solely about the result, but also about the level of play.
“Win or lose, you want it to come down to great tennis playing,” Kunovac said.
Penn lost, 4-3, in a close match Saturday when they took on Maryland.
Maryland is a strong team and Kunovac was more than pleased with how her girls performed.
“Stephanie Do played excellent under pressure,” Kunovac said. “It was the best I’ve seen her serve all season.”
Do, a junior, and her doubles partner, sophomore Alex Ion, won their doubles match — a good start to the competition.
“We played well in doubles,” Kunovac said. “We put ourselves in an aggressive position right off the bat.”
Unfortunately, later in the singles matches, Ion fell to Maryland freshman Gabriela Srodowski in a close bout.
“Alex [Ion] fought really hard,” Kunovac said. “The opponent just played tremendously.”
Do, however, continued her success into the singles competitions, in which she was one of two Penn players to notch a win. Freshman Sonya Latycheva was the second victor of the day.
“The two teams were so evenly matched, you knew it could be anyone’s [win],” Kunovac said.
It was an intense match for both players and spectators.
“The energy and intensity were reminiscent of Ivy matches,” Kunovac said, “which are the most intense all season.”
The Quakers will be back on the court for their next match against Temple on March 23 at home. Last year, Penn fell to Temple in what was also a close match, 4-3.
Kunovac said that her team feels good and is hoping for clear weather so that the Quakers can take on the Owls outside.
Temple will be the Quakers’ last match before Ivy play begins.
“If we continue what we’ve done,” Kunovac said, “we should be ready for the Ivy matches.”
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