Women's tennis 11-9, 4-3, championship looms

Sunday, the women's tennis team competed in two crucial conference clashes against Ohio Wesleyan University and Wittenberg University. The Yeowomen needed to win them both in order to assure themselves a third-seed in the NCAC tournament this weekend and a rematch with Denison University, who beat them 7-2.

Unfortunately, Sunday morning Oberlin didn't wake up until after their match with Ohio Wesleyan University and the score was OWU 5, Oberlin 4. The Yeowomen rebounded to win the second match Sunday a 5-4 victory over the WU Tigers, keeping a dream of a rematch with Denison alive, but requiring Coach Don Hunsinger to bring his "Mafia Hat" to the seeding meeting.

Thursday night at the seeding meeting the third seed was up for grabs, because OWU had lost to Allegheny College and College of Wooster, two team that the Yeowomen whipped 7-2, leaving Oberlin with a chance to still get the third seed.

After Sunday, the Yeowomen received an injection of confidence at the hands of Balwin-Wallace College on Tuesday with a 6-3 victory. The Yeowomen's record now stands at 11-9, 4-3 in conference heading into the NCAC tournament.

Sunday morning, the Yeowomen started out alright against Ohio Wesleyan, winning two of the three doubles matches. The first doubles team of captain seniors Bethany Pribila and Erica Bradford doubled their opponents 8-4, and the second doubles team of sophomores Leigh Ann Totty and Tara Sievers, crushed their competition 8-1.

It was in singles where the team slipped. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth singles all fell in straight sets. Bradford lost 7-6(7-0), 6-, as did Sievers 6-0, 6-0. First-year Jill Brockelman slipped 6-1, 6-5 and junior Kate Petersen fell 6-4, 6-0. Before they could blink an eye, OWU had stolen a victory from the Yeowomen.

Pribila and Totty, first and second doubles still won their matches. Totty came away 6-2, 6-4. Pribila struggled a little in her match against OWU's Stephanie Strong, winning 6-1, 7-6(7-3). "[The match against OWU] made that 'bad day' look like a good day," Hunsinger said. "The only redeeming thing was that we came back and won our match against Wittenberg." The team came back with four singles victories, a 5-4 victory over Wittenberg.

Pribila played one of her best matches in four years according to Hunsinger when she shut-out Kristen Bomberger of Wittenberg, 6-0, 6-0.

Totty edged Wittenberg's Debbie Cassell 6-4, 7-5. Bradford won a close one 7- 5, 6-1, and Petersen came through for her first singles conference victory 6-4, 6-4 at number five singles.

In doubles, Totty and Sievers edged Wittenberg's second doubles 8-5 for the Yeowomen's lone doubles victory. Hunsinger made the win over Wittenberg more challenging by playing Aeli Jeon in singles instead of junior Kate Petersen, and Pia Bose in doubles in place of first-year Jill Brockelman. On Tuesday Oberlin traveled to Baldwin-Wallace College for their last dual-match without Sievers.

Both matches were closely fought battles. Bose lost the sixth singles 7-5, 6-3 and the third doubles team of Petersen and Jeon also fell 7-5, 6-3. In the team's 6-3 romp over BW, the one disappointment was Brockelman, who fell 6-4, 6-0 and is currently in the midst of a four game losing streak, after playing spectacularly, two weeks ago. She seems to have left her confidence back at the Denison game.

According to Hunsinger, the team played back up to expectations against Baldwin-Wallace, "except for Jill, she has so much potential, and I hope she is back through it by Friday morning."