MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The Penn State Harrisburg women's tennis team kicked off its 2012 campaign by hosting Immaculata in the team's season opener on Saturday, Sep. 22. Unfortunately for the blue and white faithful, the ladies fell to the visitors by a single point 5-4.
The Lions number one doubles team of Gabrielle LeGendre (East Stroudsburg, Md. / Notre Dame) and Theodora Avramidis (Greenwood, N.J. / Vernon Township) fell to the Mighty Macs top team of Emily Degnan and Theresa Martini by a score of 8-4. Penn State Harrisburg's number two team of Alejandra Portillo (Palmrya, Pa. / Palmyra) and Tricia Stone (Elizabethtown, Pa. / Elizabethtown) also fell by the same margin. The home team's number three pairing of Casey Stetler (Lititz, Pa. / Manheim Central) and Amanda Herr (Lancaster, Pa. / Manheim Central) was the only group to grab a victory for the blue and white, downing Immaculata's team of Allyson Minton and Olivia Kauffman 8-4.
Penn State Harrisburg fared better in singles' action as LeGendre, the squad's number one, took down the Macs top player in Degnan 6-1, 6-4. Avramidis fought hard to wrap up the number two victory, besting Paige Sparks 2-6, 7-5, 6-0. Stetler, the Lions number four player, also nabbed a win by downing Immaculata's Julie Einwechter 6-2, 6-0.
It was the losses sustained by Portillo, Stone and Herr in the third, fifth and sixth slots that proved costly for the blue and white. One victory amongst the trio and the ladies would have ended the afternoon celebrating their first win rather than lamenting an 0-1 start.
But the Lions won't be hanging their heads for long. Penn State Harrisburg will look to pull even in the win-loss columns when they travel to Albright for the team's next match on Monday, Sep. 24.