The Oglethorpe women's tennis team hung tough all day against a regionally-ranked Rhodes team in a windy Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, but the home-standing Lynx prevailed 6-3 in the end. The result drops the Stormy Petrels to 6-11 on the season overall, 0-4 in SAA play.
The team got an excellent start to the morning, defeating Rhodes in two of the three doubles tilts to take a 2-1 lead. The team picked up victories from the Nos. 1 and 3 postions on the doubles side. Freshman Caroline Johnson and junior Katherine Walker picked up a quality win in the top doubles match, winning 8-6. Sophomore Ingrid Wilcox and freshman Halley Sickling outclassed their opponents 8-4 at No. 3, as well, with juniors Marcail McGranahan and Hailey Bowers falling 8-1 at No. 2.
In the singles competition, the Petrels fell in five of the six matches, though, giving Rhodes the victory. The visitors got a big victory from Johnson at No. 1, though, as she defeated an opponent that had beaten her at the USTA/ITA South Regional Championships back in the fall. She prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, keeping the Petrels alive at the time, as they'd already lost three singles matches to make the score 4-2 in favor of Rhodes. Walker was locked in an exciting three-set match at No. 2. The Lynx had already clinched the match when they also prevailed over Walker at No. 2, 0-6, 6-3, 7-5. McGranahan was dealing with an injury at No. 3 and lost 6-0, 6-0. Wilcox put up a big fight at No. 4, as she fought hard in the first and took the second before dropping the third set, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Sickling moved up to No. 5 with the absence of junior MaryAnne Hafen and got to a tiebreak in the second, but lost 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). Bowers returned to the lineup and played her first singles match of the year. She hung tough in the first set but lost 7-5, 6-0.
"Our Lady Petrels put up another great effort that came up just short against a solid team," said Head Coach Peter Howell. "We are playing good doubles and are very close in singles. If we keep knocking on the door, eventually we are going to break through."
The Petrels will continue their road trip in Conway, Ark., Saturday morning, when they'll take on Hendrix beginning at noon Eastern time. Next weekend, they'll travel to Sewanee and Centre to complete their conference schedule.
