The Bluffton College womens tennis team won their first match since restarting the program last season with a 5-4 decision over Tiffin University, Saturday, September 6.
Bluffton started the match by dropping all three doubles matches, but recovered by winning five of six singles matches to pull out the victory. The top doubles team of Jenna Liechty and Stephanie Keefe once again played a strong match, but were not able to close out their opportunity to win their first doubles match of the season. Liechty and Keefe battled back against the Tiffin duo of Julia Grove and Dena Haehn to force a deciding tiebreak, but fell 8-6 in the tiebreak after holding leads of 4-0 and 5-2. Both women, however, would recover to help lead the Beavers to victory through the singles matches.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th singles positions for the Beavers all produced convincing victories to start the comeback for Bluffton. Stephanie Keefe quickly dispatched her opponent, 6-1, 6-0, and was followed by the next two players in the lineup, Kara Schrock and Lisa Cherry. Schrock claimed a 6-2, 6-1 victory at the third slot, while Cherry rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 win in her match. Fifth singles player Jenni Blose, however, came through with a crucial comeback of her own for the Beavers. After dropping the first set 6-4, Blose dominated the second set 6-2, then played strong to win the deciding third set tiebreak, 10-6. That left the finishing touch to the freshman Liechty, playing in the top spot for the Beavers. After dropping the first four games of the first set to her opponent, Liechty regained her form, rolling to victory in 13 of the next 15 games, en route to a 7-5, 6-1 victory. Julie Harsha also played well at the sixth singles spot for Bluffton, dropping a well played match, 6-4, 6-3.
Bluffton closed out the day by dropping a 9-0 decision to HCAC foe Transylvania, moving their overall record to 1-2 on the season. The second doubles team of Schrock and Cherry played their best match of the season, despite falling short in an 8-5 loss. Keefe also played well at second singles, losing a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 decision.
The Beavers are back in action this Wednesday, when they host defending HCAC champion Manchester.
SINGLES
1 Jenna Liechty (BC) def. Clara Ramirez (TU); 7-5, 6-1
2 Stephanie Keefe (BC) def. Amy Laughlin (TU); 6-1, 6-0
3 Kara Schrock (BC) def. Wynter Tolland (TU); 6-2, 6-1
4 Lisa Cherry (BC) def. Denise Webster (TU); 6-2, 6-2
5 Jenni Blose (BC) def. Amy Miller (TU); 4-6, 6-2, (10-6)
6 Sarah Lucic (TU) def. Julie Harsha (BC); 6-4, 6-3
DOUBLES
1 Julia Grove/Dena Haehn (TU) def. Liechty/Keefe (BC); 9-8 (8-6)
2 Laura Temblanc/Kelly Monnier (TU) def. Schrock/Cherry (BC); 8-1
3 Miller/Webster (TU) def. Blose/Harsha (BC); 8-1
OVERALL Bluffton 5,
SINGLES
1 Meagan Minix (TU) def. Jenna Liechty (BC); 6-0, 6-0
2 Beth Fansler (TU) def. Stephanie Keefe (BC); 7-5, 6-3
3 Rachel Goodman (TU) def. Kara Schrock (BC); 6-0, 6-0
4 Ashley Lowe (TU) def. Lisa Cherry (BC); 6-4, 6-1
5 April Young (TU) def. Jenni Blose (TU); 6-1, 6-1
6 Carrie Shoemaker (TU) def. Julie Harsha (BC); 6-1, 6-3
DOUBLES
1 Minix/Goodman (TU) def. Liechty/Keefe (BC); 8-1
2 Fansler/Young (TU) def. Schrock/Cherry (BC); 8-5
3 Lowe/Shoemaker (TU) def. Blose/Harsha (BC); 8-1
OVERALL
