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Freshman Miyuka Kimoto took a 6-5 lead into the game point of her first singles set, facing Boston College senior Laura Lopez in the No. 2 singles spot on Sunday. The two traded powerful backhands and forehands from the corners for almost a minute before someone slipped up.

After a strong forehand stroke from the left side of the baseline, Lopez sprinted toward the middle of the court. Kimoto countered with a backhand strike to the spot Lopez had just vacated, and the ball skipped to the tarp.

Kimoto won a back-and-forth first set 7-5 and eventually the match, helping Syracuse (9-9, 3-8 Atlantic Coast) wrestle out a 4-3 win against Boston College on senior day. Kimoto was the only SU player to win both a singles and doubles match.

In a close set with partner Polina Kozyreva, Kimoto was able to use her quick hits and aggressive volleys to her advantage. The duo jumped out to an early 4-1 lead before Lopez and sophomore Marice Aguiar adjusted with a 3-1 run to make it 5-4.

The Syracuse pair only gave up one point in the last set, winning off a lunging tap at the net from Kimoto. Still, SU was not able to secure the doubles point, but it came out victorious after winning four singles matches, including Kimoto’s match against Lopez.

“Her opponent was a little tricky,” head coach Younes Limam said. “(Lopez) threw (Kimoto) a lot of slices, drop shots, lobs, spikes. But going into it we kind of liked that matchup for us.”

In the first set, Kimoto varied spins and hit speeds, and Lopez countered with lobs and drop shots. The first set was a back-and-forth affair with lots of long rallies, but Kimoto eventually pulled away by sweeping the last point.

Kimoto won a quick second set by a score of 6-2, riding four straight points to victory after being tied early. When Lopez tied the set 2-2, Kimoto refused to let go of a rally, winning several points that lasted more than eight hits. The dagger was a backhand to the corner that left Lopez frozen in the middle of the court. Kimoto won the next three games en route to her straight set victory.

Limam decided to play Kimoto in the No. 2 singles spot, when she usually plays at No. 3 or No. 4, because of the matchup with Lopez. Limam said he was confident in her mobility and swing diversity against an opponent who liked to mix things up.

“We talked about her just moving a lot and being in position. I think when she moves her feet well she can play at a high level.”

Kimoto delivered in both of those areas, flying all over the court with different swing patterns and directions throughout the match. She looked more comfortable as the match went on, forcing more mistakes as her opponent’s fatigue took over.

The match ended on a missed drop shot by Lopez. Kimoto’s win tied the score at 2-2 with three singles matches still in progress.

Syracuse will end the season on a two-game road trip down south against Florida State and Miami next weekend. Kimoto will finish out a strong freshman campaign, possibly still in the No. 2 singles spot. Although Syracuse is not where it wants to be as a team, Limam said, he added that he’s pleased with the freshman’s progress this season.

“I am very proud of how (Kimoto) has progressed this season,” Limam said. “She has gotten much more accurate with different swings, and I think her confidence is going to keep going up as she adds more skills.”

Published on April 10, 2022 at 4:42 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu