Women's Tennis Falls In Tight Decision to Medaille
Sept. 13 – BETHANY, W. Va. – The Bethany College women's tennis team competed hard against Medaille College, but ultimately fell by a 5-4 score on Sunday afternoon at the Mary Ewing Tennis Center.
The Green & White found themselves down 2-1 after doubles action with the Bison grabbing their first point in doubles play of the year. The point for Bethany came at number one doubles, as freshmen Pia Hager (Stuttgart, Germany) and Anna Heizler (Stegen, Germany) posted a 9-7 win over the Mavericks' Liz Barrett and Sam Dworzanki.
The Bison hung tough in singles action, splitting all six singles points with Medaille to make the final score 5-4 in favor of the visitors.
Hager, who has been solid in singles action since the beginning of the year, made it five straight wins at number one singles. Hager defeated Barrett 6-2, 6-1 to move to 5-0. Having not dropped a set yet this season, Hager becomes the first Bison since Maria Vallone in 2012 to win five straight singles decisions.
Other winners for the Green & White included junior Sarah Thrall (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) and sophomore Alyssa Smydo (Bentleyville, W. Va./Bentworth). Thrall picked up her first victory of the season, defeating Dworzanki in straight sets at number two singles. Thrall took the first set by a 6-2 score, following that with a 6-3 win in set two.
Smydo played hard to pick up her first-career victory in a Bison uniform. The first set required tiebreaker points as Smydo and Medaille's Colleen Voigt were tied 6-6. Smydo played well in the tiebreaker set, defeating Voigt 7-3 to win set one, 7-6. She then went on to take the second set 6-3 to No. 4 singles in straight sets.
Bethany will be back in action on Tuesday, September 15 when they return to Presidents' Athletic Conference action. The Green & White will host the Tomcats of Thiel College at 4:00 p.m. at the Mary Ewing Tennis Center.
