For the first time since 2021-22, and the first time under head coach Bryan Adinolfi’s tenure, Quinnipiac dropped a match 4-3 to Sacred Heart. This was the Bobcats’ first conference loss since Apr. 16, 2024, against Fairfield.
Adinolfi didn’t mince words when asked about the team.
“It’s a wake-up call for us, and they showed some toughness and grit… we came out to a really great start, we were hyped, we were confident that we were gonna win the match, and unfortunately, I think we may have been overconfident.”
The Bobcats got off to an early start, taking both doubles matches to earn the first point for Quinnipiac. Finn Burridge and Elias Hoxha defeated Paul Goncalves and Connor Liona 6-2, while Alessandro Sciacca and Carlos Braun Simo also won 6-2 in their doubles match.
Adinolfi also said, “We made mistakes and were soft. We need toughness.”
In singles play, Quinnipiac looked great to start the evening, and at one point led 3-0 during the match after Elias Hoxha and Carlos Braun-Simo earned straight-set wins. As Coach Adinolfi mentioned, Quinnipiac seemed to let off the gas with its early lead, which allowed Sacred Heart to slowly claw back as they earned all of their singles wins in the third set. One of those key matches involved Quinnipiac Junior Finn Burridge, who led in his match after winning the first set.
“He got out too quick, one-set lead… (then) mentally, with his opponent hanging the momentum shift a big and in his mind it became negative. Hopefully, it is a learning experience, and he can bounce back,” said Adinolfi.
It then came down to the action on courts two and six, where sophomore Vishal Prakash lost a third-set tiebreaker, tying the game at three apiece.
The match relied on the players’ fingertips on court two. With all other matches done, members of both teams watched in for the third set battle between Connor Liona and Carl Sjoholm. It would ultimately be Liona taking the day by scores of 3-6,6-4 and 6-3.
In regard to Quinnipiac winning back-to-back MAAC championships, Adinolfi said, “A few of our players don’t know what it’s like to lose in the MAAC.” … “It’s a wake-up call. I’m glad that it happened in the first match and hopefully we can bounce back, like true champions, because with a little adversity we are not going to lay down.”
Amid the adversity Quinnipiac faced, Adinolfi ordered a team meeting after the game. He spoke for a portion of it, but also said the players “voiced their opinions” on what needs to happen going forward. Carlos Braun-Simo was one of the Bobcats who appeared visually frustrated after his first loss on home soil as a Bobcat. The rest of the team now has only one way to go, up.
Quinnipiac will look to bounce back on Friday against the New Jersey Institute of Technology after this loss in conference play puts the team in unfamiliar territory. For the just the second time in the last three years, Adinolfi’s squad will look to bounce back after a loss against Siena on March 29.
