Lions Tennis Handed Tight Loss by Waynesburg
ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona men's tennis played its final home match of the 2018-19 season on Friday, when the Lions were edged 5-4 by non-conference opponent Waynesburg University at The Summit Tennis and Athletic Club.
Waynesburg (8-4) got the upper hand in doubles play, as the Yellow Jackets won two out of three doubles matches to take the early lead.
Penn State Altoona (2-13) picked up a point in No. 3 doubles, where the duo of Tyler Smolko (Loretto, PA/Penn Cambria)/Andrew Ung (Upper Chichester, PA/Chichester) triumphed 8-6. It was Smolko and Ung's third win of the season together in doubles.
The Lions held their own in singles play, splitting with Waynesburg by winning three out of the six singles matches.
In No. 1 singles, Jimmy Gillespie (Glen Mills, PA/Garnet Valley) picked up his third win of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over his opponent.
Jonathan D'Arcy (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) followed with a 6-2, 6-4 win in the No. 2 singles match, recording his fourth singles win of the season to tie for the team lead. The victory also gave D'Arcy his 15th career singles win, which ties for the fourth-most singles wins by an individual player in Penn State Altoona men's tennis program history.
Kirk Eichenlaub (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) accounted for Penn State Altoona's third point in singles play, earning a 6-4, 6-1 win in his No. 6 singles match to notch his third singles victory of the season.
Lions tennis wraps up its regular season schedule on Sunday, April 14, when the team will travel to Steubenville, Ohio to face defending Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference champion Franciscan University in a match starting at 1:00 p.m.
