In the tiebreak of their doubles match against Brown last Saturday, Sofya Golubovskaya and Sonya Treshcheva switched sides and walked around the net. They had led 5-2 at one point, but their lead evaporated after unforced errors.

As they crossed the umpire’s chair, Golubovskaya paused to wipe her nose with a tissue. She sighed, casually tossed it in a trash can, and kept walking. Returns into the net combined with long rallies turned a commanding lead into a potential loss. But minutes later, they celebrated a 7-6 (7-3) victory.

Playing together in doubles is nothing new for Golubovskaya and Treshcheva. They grew up in Moscow, Russia and played together professionally. Golubovskaya left to attend Syracuse, and after some persistence, Treshcheva followed the next year. Now, penciled in Syracuse’s lineup at second doubles, the Orange has a strong pairing to complement its top doubles team of Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez. When the Orange (2-0) travel to Oxford, Mississippi, and face No. 9 Michigan on Saturday as part of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, Golubovskaya and Treshcheva will have their toughest test of the young spring season.

“We just played together and are best friends,” Treshcheva said. “It’s amazing, and that’s why I’m here.”

But Treshcheva was hesitant to attend SU in the first place. After Golubovskaya’s first semester at Syracuse last year, Treshcheva asked Golubovskaya how she liked her first year. The then-SU freshman told her everything about Syracuse, from the team to the academics. Her long recruitment process finally worked, and Treshcheva decided to follow.

At the ITA Regional Championships in the fall, Golubovskaya and Treshcheva won six straight matches, leading to the tournament’s doubles title. It was their first championship together at Syracuse, and they didn’t lose a set in their last five matches. They defeated pairs from Connecticut, Boston College and Rutgers, among others, and triumphed 6-2, 6-3 over Penn’s No. 1 pair in the championship match.

Last season, Golubovskaya was the young freshman in her doubles pairing, learning with graduate student Anna Shkudun. She watched as Knutson and Ramirez controlled top doubles pairings and saw how they remained composed. This season, she’s the veteran.

In their doubles match against Columbia last Sunday, Golubovskaya smashed a volley at the net for a winner at 2-1. After, Golubovskaya had a little talk with Treshcheva in between points, before she served again.

“We saw that leadership role in the fall where she tried to put Sonya under her wing and to mentor her,” head coach Younes Limam said. “They inspire each other.”

Against Columbia, the two trailed 4-3 when the match was abandoned. Once again, unforced errors played a role in their deficit. Associate head coach Shelley George pointed out locations on the court where they should attack in between games.

Golubovskaya and Treshcheva still need to work on a strong first serve, George said. In doubles, a first strike sets up a weak return, which ultimately turns into a SU winner. Early on the day before against Brown, Treshcheva had strong serves that led to returns flying into the net. Some even were untouched by the opposing players.

Because of their fall success, Limam said Golubovskaya and Treshcheva will likely stay together throughout the spring. Next season, one of the two could join Ramirez on the top pair after Knutson graduates. But for now, the two childhood friends will keep lining up together.

“Things could happen,” Limam said. “But the good news is … that they like playing with each other.”

Published on January 24, 2019 at 9:11 am

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew