Women’s Tennis Edged 5-4 in Regular Season Finale
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's tennis team played its final match of the fall regular season at home on Wednesday, and the Lions were handed a 5-4 loss by non-conference opponent Lycoming College at the Adler Tennis Courts.
Lycoming (2-3) established an early lead in the match, prevailing in the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles spots by respective scores of 8-6 and 8-2. Penn State Altoona (3-7) salvaged a point in the No. 3 slot, where Isabella Rhoades (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone)/Stephanie Swain (Yadkin County, NC/Forbush) recorded their team-high sixth doubles win of the season together with an 8-4 victory.
Penn State Altoona held its own in singles play, splitting the six matches with Lycoming, but the visitors did enough to maintain their one-point lead and escape with a narrow victory.
Mikhaela Merca (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) notched her team-leading sixth overall singles win with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph in the No. 1 match, and Rachel Stricek (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) followed by pulling out a 6-2, 1-6, 10-5 win in the No. 2 slot for her fourth singles victory of the year. Rhoades notched her fourth singles win of the season by prevailing 6-3, 6-0 in the No. 6 match.
Now, Penn State Altoona women's tennis will turn its sights to the postseason, as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships loom. The first round of play is scheduled for Saturday, October 15 in Wexford, Pa.
Notes: Swain was recognized at Wednesday's match for her Senior Day with the women's tennis program.
