Lakeland College

Lakeland loses another tough NAC tennis duel

Athletics - posted on 9/18/2012

KOHLER - Once again participating in another match that went down to the wire, the Lakeland College women's tennis team came up just short in a Northern Athletics Conference match Tuesday against Marian University.

The Sabres defeated the Muskies 5-4, grabbing the win in a duel so close that Lakeland had four match points in a pair of matches it ended up losing. Marian improved to 5-6 overall this season and 5-3 in the NAC, while Lakeland dropped to 4-6 overall, 2-6 in conference.The match was the sixth in the Muskies' last seven to be decided 5-4 in which the outcome swung on one decision.

Once again Lakeland made the most hay at the middle of singles play with wins at No. 3, 4 and 5 singles. Erica Hoffmann (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) stepped up to No. 3 singles and lost the first set before coming back to beat Brynn Hartzell 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. Lynn Pipke (Fr.-Greenfield, Wis.) dominated Chelsey Will at No. 4 singles, winning 6-0, 6-1, and Brittany Jurek (Jr.-Gladstone, Mich.) rolled at No. 5 singles, defeating Sarah Brooker 6-0, 6-2.

Pipke and April Schmitz (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) also earned a win over Hartzell and Ann Goyke at No. 1 doubles with an 8-2 victory. Schmitz just missed defeating Goyke at No. 1 singles, reaching match point but eventually succumbing 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Lakeland also nearly won at No. 3 doubles, as Jenna Oberthaler (Jr.-Iron Mountain, Mich.) and Samantha Tonn (Fr.-Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) also had match point before losing to Brooker and Rachell Stoffel 9-8, including 7-3 in a tiebreaker. Hoffmann and Jurek also hung close at No. 2 doubles before losing to Will and Reilly Connaher 8-5.

The Muskies' other losses came as Oberthaler was defeated 6-0, 6-0 by Connaher at No. 2 singles and Alissa Stephani (So.-Appleton, Wis.) lost 6-4, 6-0 to Stoffel at No. 6 singles.

Lakeland again is in action Wednesday when it faces Alverno College at 4 p.m in another NAC match.