Match Results

ADA, Ohio—The Otterbein University women's tennis team took over sole possession of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) with a 5-4 win at Ohio Northern University Tuesday evening in Ada.

The match came down to a tie-breaker at second singles which Otterbein's Sammi Kruger won 9-7.

With the win, Otterbein's ninth straight, the Cardinals improved to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the OAC. The Polar Bears, defending OAC regular-season and tournament champion, slipped to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

"The team was ready to play and they played to win," said Otterbein head coach Pat Anderson. "This is a big win playing good tennis."

The Cardinals started the match up 2-1 after doubles. The No. 1 doubles team of Julie Stroyne and Kruger breezed to an 8-0 win to get things started. Rylie Markle and Kelsey Leachko fought to an 8-4 win at third doubles.

Stroyne, at first singles, and Markle, sixth singles, both won their matches, but the Cardinals fell on courts three through five, setting up Kruger's match-clinching win at second singles, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7).

The Cardinals are scheduled to return to the courts Saturday, traveling to John Carroll University for a 1 p.m. match.