Women’s Tennis Tripped Up by Wilkes, 5-4
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's tennis team endured a 5-4 setback to Wilkes Friday in the team's final match in the Palmetto State.
The Lions drop to 12-5 on the year with the result while the Colonels improve to 4-1 overall.
Eastern Nazarene captured a 2-1 advantage after recording a pair of doubles victories.
Magdalena Hubel (Berlin, Germany) and Emily Ruttkowski (Castrop-Rauxel, Germany) downed Dana Saliyev and Dagney Markle 8-5 at the top doubles position to collect their 12th win of the season.
Sharon Biondi (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) and Veronica Jimenez (Lynn, Mass.) notched their 11th-straight doubles victory and improved to 16-1 on the year as the duo defeated Dasha Yakhnis and Sarah Malone 8-3 at the No. 2 spot.
Wilkes battled back to earn four singles victories en route to locking up its fourth-consecutive win.
Biondi outlasted Francesca Varela-Seri in a third-set super-tiebreaker at the No. 1 spot to claim her 14th singles win. Biondi prevailed 6-2 in the opening set and Varela-Seri responded with a 6-3 decision in the second frame. In the super-tiebreaker, Biondi topped Varela-Seri 10-4.
Ruttkowski rolled past Saliyev in straight sets at the second position to remain undefeated on the year in singles action with a 16-0 mark.
Hubel dropped a 7-6, 6-4 decision to Yakhnis at the No. 3 slot. Jimenez suffered a 6-4, 6-1 setback at the fourth spot to Laura Zielinski and Makayla Grantham (Apalachian, N.Y.) fell to Rachel Thomas at the fifth position 6-1, 6-1.
Up next, Eastern Nazarene is slated to host Endicott April 21.