The Waynesburg University women’s tennis team ended a four-game home stretch with a close, 5-4 loss to Penn State Altoona Sunday afternoon. The non-conference loss puts the Jackets at 1-6 overall, and they remained 0-3 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play.

“We keep losing 5-4,” head coach Ron Headlee said. “We’re getting better, we’re playing better, it’s just not showing in the wins and losses.”

Waynesburg started strong in both the first and second doubles matches, but the closer the matches got, nerves kicked and made a difference, Headlee said. 

“It’s just a matter of our nerves getting to us,” he said. “We started out really good in doubles, I thought we were playing really well. Then it gets to the point where it’s 4-4, 5-4, and we just get a little bit tight and start changing our shots and can’t quite get over it.”

However, nerves weren’t an issue for Madison Trent, as she came back from an early first set deficit to win the second singles match.

“She had a good opponent and found a way to get it done,” Headlee said.“I think she was down 3-0 in the first set, came back and won it, and found different ways to win in the second set.”

Lauren Wadsworth won her singles match in a tiebreaker after being on the other side of a tiebreaker in previous singles matches.

 

With Noelle Hughes absent, Hayley Sweeney took her place in  the third singles match, showing promise despite a loss.

“She lost 6-2, 6-2, but I though her play was really good today,” said Headlee said.

The final home match until Saturday October 12th against Washington and Jefferson, was within reach, but the Jackets just came up short.

“We lost two close ones in first and second doubles, but I thought we responded really well in singles,” Headlee said. “We played well, managed our points well and it came down to us losing one of the matches 10-8, and that was the difference in the match.”

Waynesburg returns to the courts Friday with a roadmatch at Saint Vincent. It’s the first of four-straight road matches, with three of those being against Presidents’ Athletic Conference teams. The Bearcats are 5-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Friday’s match will begin at 4 p.m.