Women push Big Red to final singles match

Over the weekend, the Case Western Reserve University women’s tennis team put on a gritty battle against Denison University. The matches went late into the night, and the Spartans eventually fell 5-4 to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association No. 6 Big Red at the Cleveland Skating Club.

The Spartans (6-2), ranked 14th in the ITA Central Region, took the Big Red (1-1) to the limit until the final point was scored in the sixth singles match.

Denison won the first two doubles matchups to open the night, but it didn’t take long for Case to heat up. The first doubles competition of the night began with a matchup of experienced veterans. Denison’s pair included senior Sarah Short and junior Alex Marcell, who were lined up against the Lim sisters: junior Erika and freshman Alexandra. The Big Red duo logged its first victory after defeating the Spartans 8-6.

In the second matchup, junior Kathleen Evers and sophomore Bianca Patel of Case faced sophomore Kelsey Geppner and senior Kate Westenberger. Once again the Big Red took home the victory with an 8-4 win. The Spartans got back on track in the third doubles match with a brilliant performance by junior Emily Pham and freshman Marianne Bonnano, who defeated Courtney Steiner and Lilianna Broussalian of Denison 8-3.

In singles play, the Spartans got off to an excellent start thanks to Erika Lim’s 7-5, 6-3 victory versus Sarah Short. However, Denison immediately took back the next two matchups. Geppner defeated Bonnano 6-3, 6-3 in the second singles match of the night. Denison struck again in the following matchup, when Marcell took down Pham 6-3, 6-2.

The fourth match put the younger Lim against Denison’s Westenberger. After winning the first set 6-4, Lim fell short as Westenberger tied the set at one apiece with her 7-5 victory; however, Lim would seal the deal with a 6-3 win.

Evers showed off her experience with 6-4, 6-2 victory against Heather Abzug in the No. 5 singles competition of the night. Unfortunately for the Spartans, with the match tied at 4-4, the Big Red scored the deciding point in the sixth singles, when Broussalian defeated Spartan Patel in straight-sets (6-4, 6-3).

Denison improves to 1-1 on the year, while the Spartans fall to 6-2. The Spartans will continue their spring schedule with two more matches this coming weekend, beginning at Oberlin College tonight, Friday, March 2, starting at 4 p.m.