The Oglethorpe women's tennis team faced a tough Berry opponent Friday and hung in for large portions of the match, but the Petrels eventually fell to the home-standing Vikings, currently ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South region, 7-2 in Mount Berry, Ga.
The Stormy Petrels were up 4-1 in all three doubles matches against their regionally-ranked foes, but were only able to close down the No. 3 match with sophomore Ingrid Wilcox and freshman Halley Sickling. Down 2-1 entering the singles portion of the competition, the Petrels got competitive performances in that, as well, but the Vikings were ultimately too much for the visitors.
Wilcox and Sickling started the day by winning 8-3 in that No. 3 doubles match, but Berry came back with a win at No. 2 against juniors Marcail McGranahan and MaryAnne Hafen, 8-6, and at No. 1 against freshman Caroline Johnson and junior Katherine Walker, 9-8 (7-5). Going into singles, Walker lost 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 and McGranahan was competitive in the first set at No. 3, but eventually fell as well, 6-3, 6-1. Wilcox also fell 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4, clinching the match for the Vikings. Sickling came back with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 6, though, securing another point for the Petrels, and Hafen and Johnson both took their matches to a full three sets. Johnson came back to blank her opponent in the second set but eventually fell 6-1, 0-6, 6-3. Hafen forced a third-set super-tiebreak but lost that 10-7, falling 6-4, 2-6, 10-7 for the match.
"We played them close and fought hard, and we might have had a chance if we had held onto all three doubles, or at least two of the three," said Head Coach Peter Howell. "Momentum might have been in our favor if that had happened. Being down 2-1 going into singles was just too tough, though. Berry is just too deep."
The Petrels will now embark on their spring break trip to Central Florida, where they'll play five matches in four days against a variety of teams. They'll start Sunday against No. 39 Coe at 2 p.m. from Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
