KOHLER, Wis. – Baylee Babcock (Sr.-Mauston, Wis.) picked up the deciding victory in singles play for the Lakeland University women's tennis team, giving the Muskies a 5-4 dual win over Milwaukee School of Engineering Saturday at Sports Core.

Babcock was in the lead in the third set of her Number 4 singles match against Michaela Haengsen, up 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 2-0 when her challenger retired due to injury. The result gave Lakeland wins in four of the six singles matches and a victory over a team ahead of the Muskies in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings.

The Muskies earned a win in their third straight dual that went right down to the wire. Lakeland lost to Wisconsin Lutheran College 6-3 last week in a dual even more competitive than the final team score showed, and then fell to St. Norbert College 5-4 on Wednesday when the Green Knights swept all three doubles matches.

MSOE (6-7 overall, 5-3 NACC) opened winning two of three doubles matches, including a barnburner at No. 2 doubles. Gabriella Haengsen and Brenna Sheehan edged Babcock and Mary Blossom (So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) 8-7, including 7-5 in a tiebreaker in the deciding game.

Lakeland (4-4 overall, 3-4 NACC) earned a hard-fought win at No. 3 doubles as sisters Sadie Conway (Sr.-Monroe, Wis.) and Sydnee Conway (Fr.-Monroe, Wis.) edged Michaela Haengsen and Bethany Noonan 8-6. Sydnee Conway then would add a win at No. 6 singles, easily topping MSOE's Emily Gutknecht 6-0, 6-1.

Blossom also defeated Gabriella Haengsen by an identical score at No. 2 singles, and the Muskies' other win came at No. 1 singles. Olivia Heling (So.-West Bend, Wis.) won her second straight match and improved to 4-2 at No. 1 singles this year with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Karley Way.

Lakeland is back on the courts Thursday when it hosts Marian University at 4 p.m. at Sports Core in a dual rescheduled after being rained out September 26.


Lakeland University 5, MSOE 4
10/07/23 at Kohler, Wis. (Sports Core)

Singles competition

1. Heling, Olivia (LUWT) def. Way, Karley (MSOEWT) 6-2, 6-2

2. Blossom, Mary (LUWT) def. Haensgen, Gabriella (MSOEWT) 6-0, 6-1

3. Gonzales, Stephania (MSOEWT) def. Webb, Kassidee (LUWT) 6-2, 6-2

4. Babcock, Baylee (LUWT) def. Haensgen, Michaela (MSOEWT) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 2-0, retired

5. Ross, Katie (MSOEWT) def. Conway, Sadie (LUWT) 6-2, 6-2

6. Conway, Sydnee (LUWT) def. Gutknecht, Emily (MSOEWT) 6-0, 6-1

 

Doubles competition

1. Gonzales, Stephania/Way, Karley (MSOEWT) def. Heling, Olivia/Webb, Kassidee (LUWT) 8-3

2. Haensgen, Gabriella/Sheehan, Brenna (MSOEWT) def. Babcock, Baylee/Blossom, Mary (LUWT) 8-7 (7-5)

3. Conway, Sadie/Conway, Sydnee (LUWT) def. Haensgen, Michaela/Noonan, Bethany (MSOEWT) 8-6