WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Senior Brooke Verdiglione (Englishtown, N.J./St. John Vianney) earned wins at both No. 1 singles and doubles, but the Monmouth University women's tennis team fell to visiting Fairfield, 6-1, Tuesday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play at the MU Tennis Courts.
Verdiglione, along with junior Farrah Smoke (Spring Lake Heights, N.J./Manasquan [Brookdale C.C]), posted an 8-4 win in doubles play, but victories by the Stags at No. 2 and No. 3 clinched the point.
Verdiglione, who has played No. 1 singles all season, posted a 6-2 win in the opening set over Monica Yajima. The local product continued to roll in the second set holding onto a 4-1 lead before Yajima retired, giving Verdiglione the victory. Fairfield (7-7, 4-1 MAAC) recorded wins in the final five singles matches, but the Hawks (4-11, 1-5 MAAC) did not go down without a fight. Freshman Chioma Gabriel (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) nearly forced a third set in her No. 5 dual, but was edged in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), while classmate Robyn Belen (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) was edged 6-2, 6-4 at No. 6.
Monmouth returns to the courts on Thursday, April 10th, when it hosts Delaware State in a non-conference tilt at 3 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
Fairfield vs Monmouth
Apr 08, 2014 at West Long Branch, N.J.
Fairfield 6, Monmouth 1
Singles competition
1. Verdiglione, Brooke (MU-W) def. Yajima, Monica (FFDW) 6-2, 4-1, retired
2. Ryan, Sharissa (FFDW) def. Sandler, Ashley (MU-W) 6-3, 6-0
3. Radde, Allison (FFDW) def. Smoke, Farrah (MU-W) 6-2, 6-2
4. Koladzyn, Carolina (FFDW) def. Kauffman, Kendal (MU-W) 6-1, 6-3
5. Nelson, Kaila (FFDW) def. Gabriel, Chioma (MU-W) 6-0, 7-6 (7-2)
6. McKeough, Karen (FFDW) def. Belen, Robyn (MU-W) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Verdiglione, Brooke/Smoke, Farrah (MU-W) def. Yajima, Monica/Koladzyn, Carolina (FFDW) 8-4
2. Ryan, Sharissa/Radde, Allison (FFDW) def. Sandler, Ashley/Gabriel, Chioma (MU-W) 8-2
3. Nelson, Kaila/McKeough, Karen (FFDW) def. Kauffman, Kendal/Turner, Sarah (MU-W) 8-3
Match Notes:
Fairfield 7-7 (4-1 MAAC)
Monmouth 4-11 (1-5 MAAC)
