Sumter, SC – It had been October, since the Converse College Women's Tennis team was able to be on the court facing an opponent, other than themselves. Through cold weather, rain and even some snow in South Carolina, the Valkyries had worked hard to prepare for their upcoming season. After last weekend's match was canceled, they were anxious to get on the court to start the season. Coach Poda was confident in his team's ability, but he knew it was time for them to show it against USC Sumter.
That confidence poured over to the court, as Converse wasted no time showing that they were ready to start the season on the right note. In the first half of the day, the Valkyries swept all 6 of the matches. Sophomore,
Tonya Glogowski-Watson scored the first win of the day, defeating her opponent 6-3,6-4. That was followed by a win from Senior, Taylor Parrot, 6-2, 6-4. In the other 2 matches of the first half of the day, Junior,
Valentina Aparicio won 6-0, 6-0 and Junior,
Gracie Pall was victorious by a score of 6-0, 6-4. In doubles, Junior,
Maria Belen Vendrell and Freshman
Marleen Prinz won their match 8-4, while
Valentina Aparicio and
Gracie Pall won 8-2.
In the second half of the day, each match was played in a pro set format, with
Maria Belen Vendrell winning 8-0, followed by another Converse victory, as
Marleen Prinz followed with a 8-0 win, of her own. Gracie Gracie
Pall would fall by a score of 8-5, but the Valkyries' Valentina Aparicio got them back in the win column, winning 8-0. Tonya Glogowski-Watson and
Taylor Parrott prevailed in a doubles match by a score of 8-0, while
Valentina Aparicio and
Gracie Pall would do the same, winning their match 8-0.
Today was just what Head Coach
Alex Poda was hoping for. His team came out strong and showed that the hard work they had put in at practice had paid off. Even though Converse still has a full schedule ahead of them, they were happy to get their first win under their belt. This team has showed tremendous progress and is prepared for what is ahead of them.
