The Elizabethtown College men’s and women’s tennis teams took on the Susquehanna University River Hawks this past weekend on Sunday, March 24. It was a solid showing for the Blue Jays that saw both teams put forth valiant efforts. The women’s team captured their fifth win of the season, winning 7-2 and moving to 5-4 on the season. The men’s team wrapped up the day with a 6-3 loss, falling to 4-5.
On the women’s side of things, the Blue Jays proved to be the better team, dominating in both singles and doubles matches. In the singles, they took five of the six matches. Just one of these wins was forced into a third set, as Etown found themselves out in front early and often. Second-year Haley Bishop won her match in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-1. Third-year Gabriella Palladini followed that win with a superb performance of her own, taking both sets 6-4 and 6-1. Fourth-year Kaylee Mustard notched a win with 6-3 and 6-0 set wins. Fourth-year Morgan Bleicher also found success in the singles, outlasting her opponents in three sets, taking the final 10-2 and first-year Katie Balzano earned a win with a commanding effort that saw her take both sets 6-2 and 6-0.
The team was just as good in the doubles, winning two out of three. Mustard and Bleicher formed a great duo that Sunday, nearly shutting out the opposition in an 8-1 victory. Later, Palladini and third-year Adriana Burmeister matched their teammates step for step with an 8-1 win of their own.
The men’s team struggled in both singles and doubles. They did manage to win two of the six singles matches that day, thanks to second-year Max Lauver and first-year Stefanos Billis. Lauver would win both sets in his match 6-3 and Billis would follow that up with 6-1 and 6-4 to put the Blue Jays on the board for a second time in the singles round. Lauver and Billis also teamed up for an outstanding performance in their doubles match, taking quick care of their opponent 8-0.
The Blue Jays will return to action this Saturday at 1 p.m., when they’ll travel to Scranton, Pa. for a bout with the University of Scranton in a Landmark Conference matchup.
