The Fordham women’s tennis team defeated the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams on April 30 to win the Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship. It is the first championship win for the Bronx Rams since their 1990 Patriot League victory. The win breaks a four-year A10 championship winning streak for VCU.

Fordham was seeded second, and VCU was in first, but the New Yorkers had the advantage of a six-game winning streak: a healthy momentum advantage. The Rams won two of three matchups to take the doubles point, 1-0. Valeriya Deminova, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’23, and Avery Aude, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, took the second doubles 6-4, and Carlota Casasampere Escoda, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’23, and Rachelle Yang, FCRH ’23, fought for a 7-6(3) victory in third doubles.

The Rams took the third, fourth and fifth singles. Eleni Fasoula, FCRH ’24, defeated Victoria Matasova, VCU ’26, 6-3, 6-3 in third. Aude took down Gabriela Davidescu, VCU ’23, 6-2, 6-4 in fourth, and Escoda capped it off with a perfect straight set victory, going 6-0, 6-0 over Anja Drasovic, VCU ’25, in fifth.

When the final point was recorded and Fordham sealed the victory, the courts were rampant with emotion. Head Coach Michael Sowter was treated to a water cooler shower as the team celebrated the historic victory.

The NCAA tournament is the next step for Fordham, and the selection occurred on May 1. Fordham, with a 14-7 record, will officially face Princeton University, who posted a 16-6 record. The Ivy League Champs, the Princeton Tigers, and the A10 Champs, the Fordham Rams, will meet on Friday, May 5, in the first round.

After a great year for the football, basketball, water polo and swim teams, the women’s tennis squad has now marked themselves as another successful and exciting program to watch in the near future. With three graduate students out of eligibility next year, however, the team may need to lean on its three younger stars, including Fasoula. For now, the players await the NCAA tournament with eager anticipation.