UPLAND, Ind. - Goshen turned in a dominant day against Taylor with a 7-0 women's victory and a 6-1 men's win. The women won all six singles flights and all three doubles matches, while the men claimed five singles points and swept doubles. Both Goshen tennis teams are receiving votes in the NAIA coaches' polls.
This was Goshen's first women's win over Taylor since 2006, ending a 13-match losing streak against the Trojans that stretched from 2007 through 2019. With Taylor having only recently brought its program back, it was also the first meeting between the schools since 2019. The men have now won eight of the last nine meetings with Taylor dating to 2012.
Women - Goshen 7, Taylor 0
Goshen set the tone immediately by taking all three doubles courts.
Maria Clara Fonte and
Blanka Bodo won 6-2 at #1 doubles,
Sara Nino and
Vishmi Serasinghe added a 6-2 victory at #2, and
Marin Kawano and
Uliana Dotsenko closed the sweep with a 6-0 win at #3. The Maple Leafs carried that momentum into singles, where Dotsenko earned a 6-3, 6-2 decision at #1, Fonte rolled 6-1, 6-0 at #3, Serasinghe won 6-0, 6-1 at #4, Kawano took #5 by a 6-2, 6-1 score, and Nino handled her competition 6-0, 6-0 at #6. Bodo also secured the point at #2 singles in a match that was never started.
Fonte extended her doubles win streak to seven and Bodo isn't far behind at six. Fonte has a 17-3 doubles record and Bodo is at 17-4. Serasinghe has the longest singles win streak at the moment, now having won four straight.
Men - Goshen 6, Taylor 1
The men followed with another strong all-around performance, beating Taylor 6-1. Goshen again swept doubles, with
Garrett Stoltzfus and
Iago Ciucio winning 6-1 at #1, Mahmut Emre Gurmeric and
Timo Novak earning a 6-3 result at #2, and
Filippo Gallo and
Paulo Santiago taking #3 doubles 6-4.
In singles, the Maple Leafs won five of six flights. Novak was a 6-1, 6-1 winner at #2, Stoltzfus dominated 6-1, 6-0 at #3, Gallo earned a 6-0, 6-3 victory at #4, Gurmeric won 6-1, 6-0 at #5, and Santiago closed out a 6-0, 6-1 decision at #6. Taylor's lone point came at #1 singles, where Tyler Lane defeated Ciucio in a multi-set tiebreak.
Ciucio, Gallo, Santiago and Stoltzfus have all won four straight doubles matches. Gallo also has four consecutive singles wins as well.
The men (8-6, 3-0 CL) and the women (7-6, 2-1 CL) are at Saint Francis on Wednesday, April 1, at 3:00 pm.
