COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College tennis team waited 378 days for the chance to get back on the court again. When the Bears finally did, they accomplished something they hadn't done in far longer.

Caitlin Vinsonhaler and Avery Samer each won two matches in their collegiate debuts, including critical matches at third and fourth singles, to lead the Bears to a 6-3 victory over Franklin & Marshall in Saturday's season opener. It was Ursinus' first defeat of the Diplomats, who were picked second in the Centennial Conference preseason poll, since the 2011 campaign.

Ursinus knew it had a big opportunity in front of it, and the hosts played like it. All three doubles courts fell to the Bears in quick succession, starting with Vinsonhaler and Madisen Harvey's 8-1 rout at number three. Brenna Trkula and first-year Avery Samer followed with an 8-4 result at number two in their partnership debut, and veteran duo Maddie Russell and Cara Freedman cemented the early sweep with an 8-3 win on the top court.

F&M (0-2) made a push in singles, grabbing the top two courts, one of them a thrilling three-setter between Russell and Sammi Perry at number one.

With the match hanging in the balance, Vinsonhaler fought off a stiff challenge from Alex D'Angelo at number three, prevailing in a pair of tiebreakers to hand the Bears a 4-2 advantage. With Jessica Leach rolling at number five, it was only a matter of time before it became official, and Leach obliged quickly with a 6-0, 6-1 rout.

Samer edged out a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 thriller at number four, punctuating the long-awaited upset.

The Bears look to build on their strong start when they host Washington College next Saturday.  

Coach's Corner

I can't properly express how proud I am of this group of women," head coach Pete Smith said. "Everything has been tough this year. We had our first match postponed last week, so it's been a long haul to finally get to play a match for the first time in 378 days.

Today was a victory for every girl in the program, and all the parents and friends who support us. We had seven different players in the lineup today, and every single one of them notched a victory. That's team tennis.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds. We are young and we should continue to improve. There is a lot of energy in the program right now and I'm very excited about our future."