SAINTS TENNIS TEAM NIPPED BY LIONS, 5-4
Oct. 12, 2010
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Women's Tennis Team suffered a tough 5-4 loss to Emerson College on Tuesday afternoon in a cross-town Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rivalry. The past three meetings between these two teams have been ended in nail-biting 5-4 decisions. The Saints now stand at 6-5 on the season and 5-3 in conference play. With the win, Emerson improved to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the GNAC.
The Lions charged out early in the match, winning two of the three doubles matches. Emmanuel sophomore Taylor Dey (Woodbridge, Conn.) and freshman Amanda Woznicki (Bristol, Conn.) fell to Emerson's 1st doubles team. Senior captain Megan Harrington (Leicester, Mass.) and freshman Jenny Konecnik (Sparta, N.J.) were knocked off by the Lions, 8-4, in a close second doubles match. The Saints then picked up a win in third doubles, when sophomore Jenna Reid (Lincoln, R.I.) and freshman Kate Biffinger (Avon, Conn.) defeated their Emerson opponents.The Lions took a 2-1 match lead into the six singles matches. The two teams would ultimately split the singles contests, with the Lions and the Saints each winning three points. For Emmanuel, Dey was overpowered by Emerson freshman Lacey Russell (Roswell, Ga.), 6-0, 6-0, in 1st singles. Harrington dropped her No. 2 singles match, 6-1, 6-1 and Konecnik was defeated in her No. 4 singles match.
The Saints notched wins at third, fifth and sixth singles. Reid picked up a hard-fought win at No. 3 singles. She split sets with her Emerson opponent, before winning in a super-tiebreaker. Senior Alexandra Shakra (Bedford, N.H.) also won in a super-tiebreaker, giving the Saints a point at No. 5 singles. Woznicki rebounded from her doubles loss to provide a point at No. 6 singles, when she cruised to a win over her Lions opponent.
Tuesday's match was Emmanuel's second in a series of four matches in four days. The Saints will next take on Lesley University on Wednesday night (10/13) on the indoor courts at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols in Cambridge, Mass.