Weekly Sports Update: April 8 to April 15

Stern+first-year+Navika+Kuchakulla+shot+76+for+the+women%E2%80%99s+golf+team+at+the+Vassar+College+Invitational+on+April+14-15.

via gonyuathletics.com

Stern first-year Navika Kuchakulla shot 76 for the women’s golf team at the Vassar College Invitational on April 14-15.

Bela Kirpalani and Warner Radliff, Deputy Sports Editors

Softball

On April 8, the NYU softball team split a doubleheader against the College of Staten Island, winning the first game 7-4 before losing 6-2 later that day.

The Violets split another doubleheader on April 11, this time against Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. NYU won the first game 5-2, with Stern junior and catcher Jacqueline Finn leading the way with three hits including a three-run homerun. In the second game, NYU fell to Manhattanville 14-6.

The softball team played its first University Athletic Association game on April 13, hosting Case Western Reserve University for another split doubleheader at Bahoshy Field in the Bronx. NYU came back to win the first game 6-4, with Steinhardt junior Diana King’s two-out solo home run in the fifth inning giving NYU the lead. NYU lost the second game 9-1.

NYU softball faced CWRU again on April 14 in its second doubleheader in two days. The Violets fell to the Spartans 9-2 and 6-0.

The NYU softball team’s overall record is now 12-12. Next week on April 17, the Violets welcome the College of Mount Saint Vincent for a doubleheader.

Baseball

The NYU baseball team split a doubleheader against CWRU on April 13, winning game one 12-3, before losing the second game 13-3. In the win, SPS senior and starting pitcher Cameron Serapilio-Frank went seven innings and allowed just two runs to improve to 7-0 on the mound this season.

On April 14, NYU baseball played CWRU in another doubleheader, this time losing both games 7-5 and 3-4, respectively.

The three losses pull the Violets’ record down to 21-7. NYU baseball’s next game will be played on April 18 against John Jay College.

Men’s Tennis

On April 8, the men’s tennis team broke its four-match losing streak with a 6-3 win over the College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey. CAS senior Umberto Setter and CAS sophomore Zeb Zheng came out on top in a tight 8-6 victory in first seed doubles. Stern sophomore Vishal Walia and CAS first-year Rahul Das won their third seed doubles match 8-5. The Violets also won four out of six matches in singles.

The Violets were defeated by Stevens Institute of Technology on April 11, coming up with only one doubles win and two singles victories.

On April 14, men’s tennis defeated UAA rival University of Rochester 6-3. Stern junior Benedict Teoh and CAS junior Shrikar Kundur, who made his season debut, defeated their opponents 8-3 in second seed doubles, while third seed doubles partners Walia and Das won 8-4. In singles, Setter won first seed singles (6-0, 6-7, 6-3), Stern first-year Stefan Rodic (3-6, 7-5, 6-4) edged out a narrow victory in third seed singles, and Walia came out on top in his first singles match as number two seed (6-4, 7-5).

The Violets saw their overall record drop to 4-6 this season, after losing to Hobart College on April 15 in Geneva, New York.

The Violets will return to the court on Saturday, April 21 to face Ohio Wesleyan University, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Men’s Volleyball

Fourth-seeded NYU men’s volleyball team defeated fifth-seeded Elmira College in straight sets (25-23, 25-14, 25-17) in the opening round of the 2018 United Volleyball Conference Tournament at the Sportsplex in Manhattan on April 13. Stern sophomore Alex Li led the team with 17 kills, while Stern sophomore Matin Bikdeli produced a match-high 33 assists.

NYU moved on to play host and top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology in the UVC semifinals, but fell just short, losing 3-2 (29-31, 25-19, 25-17, 19-25, 15-12).

Li produced a match-high tying 18 kills, while Tandon sophomore Neil Ferraro led all players with six blocks, and Bikdeli dished out a match-best 43 assists.

Saturday’s match concludes a great season for the Violets, whose overall record ended at 16-9.

Women’s Tennis

The women’s tennis team shutout the University of Rochester 9-0 on April 14 to continue its undefeated season with a 7-0 record on the season.

The double teams had strong performances with wins by Stern juniors Flyora Shiyanova and Vanessa Scott (8-4), Stern first-year Anna Maria Buraya (8-1) and CAS sophomore Coco Kulle and Stern sophomores Judy Kam and Rupa Ganesh (8-7).

The Violets carried over their success from the doubles competition with single wins by Kulle, Ganesh and Kam.

Women’s Track & Field

The Violets competed at the Coach Pollard Invitational at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on April 14.

Steinhardt senior Morel Malcolm stood out for the Violets with a first place finish in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:54.44.

In her outdoor season debut, Tandon junior Justina Sanders-Schifano captured first place in the 400 meter hurdles with a mark (1:02.39) nearly two seconds quicker than the runner-up (1:04.26).

The team will split its roster on April 21 with athletes competing at both the Vassar College Invitational in Poughkeepsie, New York and Greyhound Invitational at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Men’s Track & Field

The men’s track and field team travelled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on April 14 to compete in Coach Pollard Invitational at Moravian College.

Three Violets recorded top ten finishes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with Steinhardt senior Jordan Reyes finishing in third, Stern senior Sam Praveen in sixth and CAS sophomore Yuji Cusick in ninth.

The 5,000 meter event also had multiple Violets in the top 10 with a third place finish by CAS first-year Dillion Spector, fifth place finish by SPS junior Julian Marrufo, ninth place by CAS senior Grant Allington and 10th by CAS senior Robert Beit.

Stern senior Karn Setya put up his best mark of the season in the 1,500 meter event with a time of 4:01.80 that secured him a fifth place finish.

Other notable finishes include a fifth place finish by SPS senior Malcolm Montilus in the 400 meter dash and sixth place finish by CAS junior William Lee in the high jump.

The team will join the women’s track and field team on April 21 at the Vassar College Invitational in Poughkeepsie, New York and Greyhound Invitational at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Women’s Golf

The women’s golf team took first place at the Vassar College Invitational in Poughkeepsie, New York on April 15. Due to poor weather conditions, the Violets’ 319 in the first round was enough to secure first place after the second round was canceled. 

 

A version of this article was published in the Monday April 16 print edition. Email the Sports Desk at [email protected]