Ronald Hanaki
Staff Writer
ESU Women’s Tennis fell to Millersville University 7-0 at Wolbers Courts on Tuesday, April 16.
The most compelling match of the day featured the number two doubles team of junior Aubrianna Stetina and sophomore Amanda Jackson.
Stetina and Jackson trailed the Mauraders duo of Megan Rovenolt and Corinne Grohoski 0-5 before they rallied to win the next three games.
With Millersville serving at 5-3, Stetina and Jackson had two break chances to make the score 5-4 and get back on serve.
Despite a couple of spirited vollies, the Warrior pair could not break serve, and they fell, 6-3.
The other two doubles matches were one-sided wins for Millersville.
Millersville’s Katina Jones and Jasmine Morris beat ESU sophomore Quinn McCluskey and senior Lauren Morrissey 6-1. The young Warrior doubles pair, sophomore Briana Young and freshman Charity McLeod were shut out by Millersville’s Kelsey Heckert and Victoria Hanus 6-0.
The singles matches were similarly one-sided, as the Mauraders took charge early. Jones shut out McCluskey to win the first singles match and set the tone.
Morris followed this forceful victory with one of her own, defeating ESU’s Stetina 6-0, 6-2.
A scoring dispute between the players did not stop Heckert from defeating Jackson 6-0, 6-1 for the second time that day.
The other three singles’ matches featured some close plays that potentially could have been turning points in favor of the Warriors.
Playing number six singles, Young trailed Millersville’s Lauren Weaver 0-4. She managed to get two chances to break Weaver’s serve in the fifth game.
Unfortunately, the sophomore could not convert either break opportunity and dropped the first set before losing to Weaver 6-1, 6-2.
At No. 5 singles, McLeod fell behind Millersville’s Corinne Grohoski 1-4. Although McLeod rallied to tie the score at 30-30 in the sixth game, she would lose the set and the match to Grohoski 6-1, 6-0.
Lauren Morrissey is the captain and only senior on the team. She is playing No. 4 singles this spring.
After dropping the first set, Morrissey found herself down 0-3 in the second set. Although she forced one break point against Millersville’s Hanus, Morrissey could not break serve and fell to Hanus 6-1, 6-1.
With the loss to Millersville, ESU will not qualify for the postseason PSAC Tournament.
“It will be the first time in four years that we didn’t make it [the postseason PSAC Tournament],” Head Coach Al McCormick said.
‘Part of that is because my number one [junior Marina Zardet] got injured,” stated McCormick.
Zardet twisted her ankle on the second-to-last point of her singles match against Bloomsburg on April 10. McCormick had to juggle his usual lineup because of Zardet’s injury.
“The girls, especially in doubles, that’s the first time they’ve played together,” stated McCormick.
“We didn’t win a lot of games, but I thought that a lot of the girls who didn’t play in a while played pretty good today,” McCormick said.
McCormick has a new assistant this season. Dr. Allan Benn, Professor of English, has stepped in to help the team.
“Professor [Paul] Bartoli used to help, but he stepped down last year because he was put on a couple of boards with the college,” stated McCormick.
“I had played a lot of tennis with Coach Benn when I was still playing a lot. So I just reached out to him and asked if he wanted to be involved,” McCormick said.
Benn’s familiarity with the sport and being another voice to help advise the women on the team makes him an asset to the Warriors’ women’s tennis team. He also serves as the team’s unofficial academic adviser.
“It’s nice having a professor that can tell you about who to take on campus and what classes they should take for your major,” stated McCormick. “That helps me out a lot.”
The Warriors (5-7, 1-3) finish their season with home matches against Kutztown University (4-9, 1-2) tomorrow afternoon at Wolbers Courts.
Email Ronald at:
rhanaki@live.esu.edu
