Match Results
ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women’s tennis team faced a tough match against Bucknell University, losing 4-3 on Saturday at the Westwood Racquet Club. This was another close contest in a series of tight matches for Slippery Rock (1-3). All four of their matches this season have ended with a narrow 4-3 score, facing strong opponents including three Division I teams and Carnegie Mellon University, a top Division III team.
For the first time this season, Slippery Rock lost the doubles point. They fought hard in the singles matches but came up just short. Bucknell’s (3-4) victory was secured by a close three-set win at the No. 1 singles position.
The match kicked off well for Slippery Rock as their No. 2 doubles team, Tina Slovak and Amaia Balaguer Brau, won decisively with a score of 6-2. This duo left the weekend with an impressive 4-0 record.
However, Bucknell quickly responded, winning in the first and third doubles flights to take the early lead. Whitney King and Abby Platt edged out Alissia Kivi and Nicole Kempton with a close 6-4 win. Then, Riley Jennings and Anna Lajos defeated Dari Sakhanova and Georgie Lancaster 6-3.
Despite the setback in doubles, Slippery Rock rallied in singles play, claiming three out of the first four matches to push Bucknell to the edge.
Slovak and Kempton started the bounce-back with victories in the fourth and third flights. Slovak overwhelmed Tori Allen 6-1, 6-1, while Kempton triumphed over Lajos 6-4, 6-3. Slovak maintained her perfect record in dual matches, now at 3-0 for the season.
After Mair defeated Sakhanova 6-1, 6-0 in the fifth flight, Kivi evened the match at 3-3 with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Platt in the second flight. Kivi, a rising star among freshmen, has now won eight of her first twelve collegiate singles matches.
Unfortunately, Slippery Rock’s comeback was halted as Bucknell secured crucial wins in the sixth and first flights. C. King leveled the score again with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Lancaster. The match concluded with W. King clinching the win for Bucknell in a three-set battle against Balaguer Brau, finishing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Slippery Rock is set to compete next against Salem University on March 2 at 5 PM.
