Bethel Results Oglethorpe Results Colorado College Results Virginia Wesleyan Results
ORLANDO, Fla.—The Otterbein University women's tennis team closed out its spring break trip with a 9-0 win over Virginia Wesleyan College Friday, leaving Orlando, Fla. with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Cardinals opened the trip with a 5-4 win over Bethel University (Minn.) March 16.
"Singles was a little shaky the first day against Bethel, but doubles held their end up, winning all three matches," said head coach Pat Anderson.
In the second match of the week played last Tuesday, Otterbein won another close battle, this time a 5-4 win over Oglethorpe University. Critical in the victory were a pair of 8-6 wins in doubles from junior Emma Krummel and sophomore Adrien Leatherwood at second doubles and freshman Kerigan McNamara and junior Kelsey Leachko at third doubles.
"This duo is really maturing and playing a very aggressive game of doubles," Anderson said about Krummel and Leatherwood. "The games of Kerigan and Kelsey really complement each other."
The Cardinals defeated Colorado College, 7-2, the following day on Wednesday.
"This match was a lot closer than the score indicated," Anderson said. "Colorado was a very solid team and the Lady Cards really had to step it up."
The Cardinals won all three doubles matches, but the first doubles team of Sammi Kruger and freshman Rylie Markle had to come back from a 6-2 deficit to win 8-6. Kruger also won her match at first singles, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2.
"Sammi has stepped in at No. 1 and is handling the challenge," Anderson. "She is playing very good tennis."
Kruger, who normally plays second singles, moved up to the top spot, filling in for senior Julie Stroyne, three-time OAC player of the year, who is nursing an injury.
Kruger, 6-2 overall, Markle, 7-1, and Leatherwood, 6-2, turned in the best records for Otterbein on the week. Kruger finished 3-1 in first singles and 3-1 in first doubles while Markle tallied a 4-0 mark in fourth and fifth singles and a 3-1 record in first and third doubles. Leatherwood won all four of her doubles matches at No. 2 and played to a 2-2 mark at second and third singles.
"This team was already bonded before the trip so our focus was entirely on playing the best tennis we could," Anderson said. "Players stepped up and, in some cases, played one to two spots ahead of their normal positions.
"This was a very solid week for the Lady Cardinals," Anderson continued. "Each day, someone stepped up. Whenever you can play teams the caliber of Bethel, Oglethorpe and Colorado College and win, it's a good trip."
Otterbein is scheduled to open Ohio Athletic Conference play against crosstown-rival Capital this Saturday at home, beginning at 1 p.m.
