|
| Mali Zemedkun |
|
| Rachel Molé |
Tied 4-4 with one match remaining, first-year Mali Zemedkun prevailed 7-5, 6-4 at No. 6 singles to clinch a 5-4 victory for The College of Wooster women's tennis team over Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at Gordon Field House in Delaware, Ohio.
Crucial to putting the Fighting Scots (7-8, 0-3 North Coast Athletic Conference East Division) in a winning position was a 3-0 sweep in doubles play. At the top spot, senior Rachel Molé and junior Morgan Wagers won 8-3 while senior Elizabeth Brewington and first-year Joy Li won 8-4 at No. 2. Coming through in the clutch while going the distance at No. 3 were senior Dora Mase and first-year Shannon Sertz, who won 9-8 (2) to conclude the sweep.
At No. 1 singles, Li fell 2-6, 2-6 to Lauren Cocoran, the 43rd-ranked singles player in NCAA Div. III, while Wagers lost at No. 3, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 5-7.
Pushing Wooster's point total to four was Molé, who claimed a three-set win (6-4, 1-6, 6-1) at No. 2. Of note, Molé's victory marked the 38th singles win of her career, moving her into a tie for 10th all-time in program history. In addition, at 35 career doubles wins at No. 1, Molé remains one back of tying alumna Jennifer Lister's all-time record of 36 set in 1989.
Sertz (6-7 (3), 0-6) and Brewington (2-6, 0-6) fell at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, leaving it to Zemedkun, who entered the match with a 2-5 career record, for the decisive point at No. 6. In the end, one break in each set was what it came down to for the first-year, as she claimed a straight-set 7-5, 6-4 victory to send the Scots home with their first win over the Battling Bishops since 2014.
Up next, the Scots host Heidelberg University (3-8, 3-2 Ohio Athletic Conference) on Sunday, April 23 at 1 p.m. in the regular-season finale.