KOHLER – The Lakeland University women's tennis team came ever so close to a victorious start to its season before dropping a narrow 5-4 decision to Ripon College in a terrific non-conference dual at Sports Core.

The Muskies had a number of impressive debuts from freshmen and were competitive in all five of their losses in a dual that was evenly matched throughout. Opening with doubles matches and followed by singles play, the dual took 4 hours 15 minutes to complete before the Red Hawks finally wrapped up the team win.

The teams split singles play, with Ellie Roe (Fr.-Plymouth, Wis.), Carly Brault (Sr.-Brillion, Wis.) and Calley Wesemann (Fr.-Watertown, Wis.) all posting wins for the Muskies. Roe dominated Morgan Makar for a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles and Wesemann won by the same score over Katelyn Peroutka at No. 6 singles, while Brault also topped Carly Wesner 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.

Brault and Rachel Conery (Sr.-Vulcan, Mich.) also added an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles over Peroutka and Wesner. The Muskies' losses, meanwhile, were a series of close misses, every one of which could have gone the other way with just a few points swayed in their direction.

Doubles play at both No. 1 and No. 2 flights went back and forth throughout both matches before tilting towards the guests. Ripon's Makar and Courtney Olson held off Roe and Emma Schad (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) 8-6 at No. 1 doubles, while MacKenzie Warner and Rachel Hicks outlasted Wesemann and Abby Juozapaitis (Fr.-North Prairie, Wis.) at No. 2 doubles 9-8, including 7-3 in the tiebreaker.

All three Lakeland singles losses were also close. Schad dropped a 7-5, 7-5 decision to Olson at No. 1 singles, Hicks won a tiebreaker in the first set and edged Juozapaitis 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 at No. 5 singles, and Ann Schroeder (Jr.-Lake Mills, Wis.) took Warner to a third set at No. 3 singles before falling 6-1, 4-6, 10-1.

The Muskies return to play Saturday when they face the University of Dubuque for a 2 p.m. dual to be played at Ripon.

Ripon College 5, Lakeland University 4
09/01/17 at Kohler, Wis. (Sports Core) 

Singles competition

1. Courtney Olson (RC) def. Schad, Emma (LUWT) 7-5, 7-5

2. Roe, Ellie (LUWT) def. Morgan Makar (RC) 6-0, 6-0

3. MacKenzie Warner (RC) def. Schroeder, Ann (LUWT) 6-1, 4-6, 10-1

4. Brault, Carly (LUWT) def. Carly Wesner (RC) 6-0, 6-2

5. Rachel Hicks (RC) def. Juozapaitis, Abby (LUWT) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5

6. Wesemann, Cailey (LUWT) def. Katelyn Peroutka (RC) 6-0, 6-0

 

Doubles competition

1. Courtney Olson/Morgan Makar (RC) def. Schad, Emma/Roe, Ellie (LUWT) 8-6

2. MacKenzie Warner/Rachel Hicks (RC) def. Juozapaitis, Abby/Wesemann, Cailey (LUWT) 9-8 (7-3)

3. Brault, Carly/Conery, Rachel (LUWT) def. Katelyn Peroutka/Alejandras Cardenas (RC) 8-2