Dora Mase

Bonnie Salmeron

The College of Wooster women's tennis team played its first dual match of the 2015-16 campaign, and while the short-handed Fighting Scots were competitive at most every position, they ultimately fell by an 8-1 count Friday afternoon to the University of Mount Union on the D.J. Hard Memorial Courts in Wooster, Ohio.

Wooster was at a significant disadvantage from the outset, playing without its top-two players – junior Rachel Mole, who is studying abroad this semester, and senior Catherine Christian – and they also happen to form one of the winningest doubles teams in school history. In spite of their absence, the Scots secured a point during doubles play as Bonnie Salmeron and Dora Mase put together a decisive 8-2 triumph at the No. 3 position.

With the team score 2-1, it seemed the match could go either way entering the singles competition and there were several closely-contested first sets. Most notable, Katie Kuzmishin pushed her opponent to a tiebreaker at the fourth spot before suffering a 7-6, 6-2 setback, and Mase won four games in the opener at the sixth position.

Wooster will close the brief fall season by sending some players to the ITA Central Regional Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., from Oct. 2-5.