FINAL RESULTS

OBERLIN, Ohio – In a non-conference match for the ages, the Otterbein women's tennis team stormed back to erase a steep deficit and somehow escape Oberlin College with a thrilling 5-4 victory Saturday evening inside the John W. Heisman Fieldhouse.

The comeback flurry, which saw deficits of 3-0 and 4-1, keeps the Cardinals unbeaten this season and gives the program its first victory against Oberlin since way back in 2008.
Things did not look good for Otterbein (5-0) after doubles play, which saw a pair of 8-3 defeats along with a narrow 8-6 loss in the second position.

Otterbein stayed the course and took advantage of a slightly modified Oberlin lineup to begin singles play, as senior Sydney Bergman got her club on the board by taking an early lead and then seeing her opponent retire. However, the Yeowomen grabbed a point back at fifth singles to put the Cardinals in a 4-1 hole.

Down but not out, the rally reignited with senior Makayla Sutter delivering a wild victory in the second position. She won 7-5, then was shutout 6-0, and then regrouped to emerge in a thrilling 13-11 super tiebreaker.
Momentum is a dangerous element, and the Cardinals had exactly that as Marriella Briones (6-3, 6-4) and Madison Mueller (6-3, 6-3) followed with straight-set wins of their own. That push left the team score deadlocked at 4-4 with junior Kristen Zink remaining.

Zink would ultimately play the culminating role at No. 4 singles, emerging by counts of 6-4 and 6-3 to complete the comeback! The final moment was a nice bit of redemption for Zink and her teammates, who dropped the top-four singles matchups last year in a 6-3 loss at Oberlin.

The Cardinals will be back in action next Sunday afternoon, traveling to Case Western for a match at 4 p.m.