COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – A year removed from a heartbreaking 5-4 setback at Gettysburg, the Ursinus College women's tennis team returned the favor with a thrilling triumph in its Centennial Conference home opener on Saturday.
Senior Robin Alsher was the lone double winner for the Bears (9-3, 1-2), who grabbed their first league victory of the campaign. Alsher's 6-1, 6-1 rout of Maddie Class at number five singles was the clincher in Ursinus' first outdoor home match.
The Bears made a furious comeback from a 2-1 deficit at the conclusion of doubles play, which featured three ultra-tight tilts. Laura Gradiska and Emily Simonds pulled out an 8-6 victory against Ursinus juniors Aileen Bevard and Ashley Nguyen at number one, after which Alsher and fellow senior Christine Palazzolo topped Ally Flood and Mary Cecio by the same tally to even the score.
Gillian Mannerly and Samantha Boardman's 9-7 thriller against freshman Caitlyn Sorelle and junior Ariel Danziger lifted the Bullers (4-4, 0-2) back into the lead heading into individual competition.
Sorelle handled Mannerly 6-0, 6-2 at number two singles, and Bevard was a 6-2, 6-1 winner against Gradiska at number one. Danziger's 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Simonds in the fourth flight brought the Bears to the brink of victory, but Boardman won in straight sets at third singles to make it a 4-3 margin.
Alsher put a bow on it for the Bears, rendering Emily Lutz' win at sixth singles moot.
Danziger grabbed sole possession of third place in program history with her 34th career singles win.
The women's tennis team welcomes Muhlenberg to the Bailey Courts for a CC match at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4.
