Women's Tennis Pulls Off 6-3 Upset of Behrend
ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona women's tennis handed Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival Penn State Behrend its first conference loss of the season on Friday afternoon, winning 6-3 at the Mansion Park courts.
For Penn State Altoona (2-2, 2-2 AMCC), it was the women's tennis team's first win over Behrend since 2002. The victory snapped a 22-match losing streak against the Lady Lions' Erie counterparts.
Behrend (4-2, 4-1 AMCC) got off to a good start in doubles, winning the No. 1 match 8-1. But Penn State Altoona came back with a pair of victories to take two out of three in doubles. In the No. 2 slot, the tandem of Brayley Lewis (Roaring Spring, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle)/Annie Ruggles (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) prevailed 8-3, and the team of Victoria Acker (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria)/Patricia Whelan (Newburgh, NY/John S. Burke Catholic) won 8-1 in the No. 3 match.
In singles, Penn State Altoona battled to win four out of six. Singles play proved to be highly competitive, with three of the six matches advancing into tiebreakers.
Lewis led the way for the Lady Lions, winning her No. 2 singles match 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-2). Ruggles defeated her opponent in the No. 4 slot by a 6-1, 6-3 decision, and Whelan cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win in the No. 5 flight. Acker earned a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) victory in No. 6 singles to represent Penn State Altoona's sixth point.
Penn State Altoona women's tennis will look to continue its momentum in its next match, as the Lady Lions travel to face nearby non-conference opponent Juniata College on Wednesday, September 20 at 4:30 p.m.
