PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – On a day honoring a pair of Chargers for their dedication to building a championship program, the University of New Haven women's tennis team continued its unblemished 2024 season with a 7-0 win over the visiting Bentley University Falcons.

Prior to its Northeast-10 Conference win, which improved the Chargers to 7-0 on the season, 6-0 in the NE10, head coach Chris Raffone honored Risako Umekuni (Saitama, Japan/Shumei Eiko) and Karim Carreras (Asuncion, Paraguay/Colegio Bautista de Villa Morra) for the instrumental roles over the last four years at New Haven.

The Blue and gold opened up the match taking the doubles point, sweeping all three doubles matches, the closest battle of which came at the No. 3 position where the pairing of Laura Ortner (Schlierbach, Austria/BRG Kirchdorf) and Leni Bischof (Aigen, Austria/BRG Stainach) earned the victory after a battle that went to a tiebreaker (7-6, 8-6). The No. 1 doubles pair of Valentinna Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) and Karim Carreras (Asuncion, Paraguay/Colegio Bautista de Villa Morra) continued their unbeaten season as a pair, improving to 7-0 on the year with a 6-0 sweep. Rounding out the doubles action was the duo of Umekuni and Agustina Ravera (Miramar, Fla./Broward Virtual School) who secured the win at No. 2 doubles 6-2.

Switching to singles action, the Chargers momentum wouldn't falter as all combined New Haven wouldn't allow point to the Falcons in four of the 12 sets, including a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at the No. 6 position from Bischof. In addition to her, Carreras and Umekuni each finished a set without surrendering a point, Carreras in her second set at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-0, and Umekuni in her opening set 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.

Rounding out the singles play for New Haven was junior Valentinna Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) at No. 1 with a 6-2, 6-1 decision, Laura Ortner (Schlierbach, Austria/BRG Kirchdorf) at No. 4 with a 6-1, 6-4 win and Ravera who completed her day with a pair of wins, taking a 6-4, 6-1 win at the No.5 position.

The Chargers will continue Northeast-10 Conference action on Sunday afternoon when they head to the Bay State to take on the American International Yellow Jackets with the opening serve in doubles play set for 3:00 p.m.