By Lindsay Regruto
Senior Writer
The women’s tennis team defeated Lehigh in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament last weekend before falling in the semifinals to Navy. The Bison followed its semifinal loss with a 6-3 win over Bloomsburg.
“It was a challenging season in terms of injuries and such. We have a very young, talented squad,” head coach Rebecca Helt said. “Everyone worked hard to improve their fitness, their level of play on court and their mental toughness.”
Against Lehigh, the Bison were able to pull off an outstanding 4-0 win on Friday to advance to the semifinals. Dumitrita Iepuras ’12 and Elizabeth Morgan ’14 took a decisive 8-4 win at the No. 3 doubles position, while Elena Vidrascu ’14 and Daria Tuzhikova ’13 followed with an 8-6 win at the No. 1 position. Lydia Colvin ’15 and Courtney Casey ’12 were tied 6-6 when the doubles point was given to the Bison.
“Despite the score, the match against Lehigh was not easy, and therefore, it was a well-deserved win,” Iepuras said. “Even though I did not get to finish my match, I was proud of my teammates who helped us move forward into the semifinals.”
In singles play, both Colvin and Casey played strong matches, claiming a pair of wins at the No. 3 and No. 5 spots respectively. Tuzhikova defeated her opponent 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 4 singles spot to seal the win for the Bison. Iepuras, Vidrascu and Christie Schneider ’15 were all still playing when the Orange and Blue claimed the victory.
The following day, Casey and Colvin battled it out at the No. 2 doubles spot, earning an 8-6 win, while Vidrascu and Tuzhikova lost a close back-and-forth match at the No. 1 spot 9-7. The Bison tried to battle back in the singles matches but couldn’t overcome Navy’s momentum. The Mids knocked out the Orange and Blue 4-0 to advance to the finals.
“During the most challenging times of our season, these women pushed each other yet supported each other. It’s about the entire process, the work, the sacrifice, the communication, the effort and the personal growth that each athlete experiences that really represents a team,” Helt said. “I’m proud of each and every student-athlete on this team and I hope they feel that same sense of pride.”