Ohio Northern Results  John Carroll Results  Ohio Wesleyan Results

DELAWARE, Ohio—The Otterbein University women's tennis team closed out a rough week with a 5-4 non-conference win at Ohio Wesleyan University Sunday in Delaware.
 
Heading into the match, the Cardinals had suffered back-to-back home Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) losses to league co-leaders Ohio Northern University, 6-3, last Wednesday and John Carroll University, 5-4, Saturday.
 
"This match was a great opportunity to play other players and allow them to show what they can do," said Otterbein head coach Pat Anderson about the Ohio Wesleyan match. "Not only did they play, they all had to move up a couple courts due to missing a few players from the singles lineup. It was a good day and needed after our close 5-4 loss to JCU yesterday."
 
Adrien Leatherwood went 2-0 at Ohio Wesleyan, teaming up with Emily Quill for an 8-1 win at third doubles, and winning second singles, 6-0, 6-3. Emily Harper and Alyx Lynham won the other doubles match, 8-1, on court two.
 
A pair of freshmen picked up Otterbein's other two points in singles play. Sophia Navas-Davis won No. 6 singles, 6-4, 6-1, and Brenna McCombs picked up the fifth and deciding point with a 7-5, 6-1 decision on court five.
 
The Cardinals got off to a solid start against the Blue Streaks in Saturday's OAC match in Westerville. Sami Kruger and Rylie Markle, at first doubles, and Emma Krummel and Leatherwood, second doubles, each went to a tie-breaker before winning 9-8.
 
"Doubles proved to be a battle against John Carroll," Anderson said. "Kruger and Markle started down 4-1, and then went up, 6-5, before getting behind, 8-7. They played smart and error free to tie it up and then took the tie-breaker, 7-4. Krummel and Leatherwood found themselves in the same situation, down 5-2. They had to fight hard to win their match in a tie-breaker, 7-5. Our doubles players showed a lot of grit against John Carroll.
 
"Going into singles, I really felt we had a chance to win three courts," Anderson added.
 
Otterbein fell short, however, picking up just two points in singles play. Kruger won first singles, 6-2, 6-3, and Markle won fifth singles, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
 
"Lynham battled hard at No. 3 singles, losing a heart-breaking three-set match, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6," Anderson said. "We had our chances on courts four and six, but didn't get the job done."
 
In Otterbein's other match last week, Kruger doubled up with a pair of wins against Ohio Northern. She won first singles, 6-2, 6-3, and teamed up with Markle for an 8-3 win in doubles. Megan Locke scored Otterbein's other point, a 6-0, 6-0 win at sixth singles.
 
"Losing three close matches to the top teams in the conference motivates us to work hard the next couple of weeks," Anderson said. "The conference tournament gives us a chance to redeem ourselves."
 
Otterbein, getting a six-day rest from match play, is scheduled to resume OAC play Saturday, hosting Muskingum University, beginning at 1 p.m.