The Shippensburg University women’s tennis team dropped a hotly-contested match against the Clarion Golden Eagles on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Robb Sports Complex, 3-4.
Shippensburg (0-4) earned three singles victories courtesy of junior Brooklynn Rupert (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area), freshman Brinley Orris (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) and junior Kendall Winters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg).
Clarion (1-1) won the doubles point despite defaulting the No. 3 doubles matchup. Victories by Davan Lion in No. 1 singles, Alexis Strouse in No. 2 singles and Josie Beckerleg in No. 4 singles competition wrapped up the Golden Eagle win.
Orris cruised to her first collegiate victory in No. 4 singles, defeating Clarion’s Polia Vladeva in straight sets. Final scores were 6-1, 6-1.
Rupert battled No. 3 singles opponent Alyson Fisher to a third set tiebreaker, winning a back-and-forth matchup by scores of 6-4, 4-6 and 10-7.
Winters won via default in No. 6 singles.
Freshman Rachel Gallagher (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) won a total of seven games in a close No. 4 singles skirmish. Sophomore Corinne Markovich (Johnstown, Pa./Central Cambria) picked up four games in No. 1 singles, while freshman Ali Zapach (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) won three games in No. 2 singles competition.
SU returns to action when they host Messiah College Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m.
