BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst women's tennis team fell to Indiana (Pa.), 5-2, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament final, which took place Saturday at Bloomsburg. With the loss, the Lakers' 16-match winning streak was snapped.

The Lakers (17-2) played from behind the entire match after dropping 2 of 3 doubles matches. After that, Mercyhurst gained only one point in singles competition before IUP clinched its victory.

The match featured the top two teams in the Atlantic Region. That included seven of the top 14 individuals and three of the top four doubles teams.

The Crimson Hawks (19-5) jumped in the lead with a win at No. 2 doubles as Rachel Wood and Raquel Gonzalez claimed an 8-5 victory over Mercyhurst's Annie Baich and Saioa Gomez Segura. Baich and Gomez de Segura, who are ranked third in the Atlantic, had a 17-match doubles win streak end.

Another Laker doubles streak came to and end at third pairs when Adina Spahalic and Alexia Nay lost for the first time ever as a team. They had won 17 straight matches before retiring against IUP's Sophie Butland and Ekaterina Minchenkova. The Laker team was trailing 7-6 when the match ended.

Mercyhurst finally got on the board as the doubles segment ended with a point at No. 1 pairs. Kayla Frost and Adrianna Jeffress, the fourth-ranked doubles team in the Atlantic, won their fifth straight match together with an 8-4 victory over Luise von Agris and Jarka Petercakova, who are rated first in the Atlantic.

In singles action, Gomez de Segura provded the Lakers' only point with her 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Petercakova at No. 1 singles. That matchup featured the No. 1 singles player in the Atlantic (Gomez de Segura) and No. 3 player (Petercakova). Gomez de Segura is also rated 20th in NCAA Division II. With her win, she stretched her individual winning streak to 16, which is almost 17 since she was ahead 6-0, 5-0, in the PSAC semifinals upon the match's completion.

Von Agris (No. 4 Atlantic) won a battle of regionally-ranked players at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-2 over Frost (No. 8 Atlantic).

Jeffress, who had won 13 straight singles matches, fell to Gonzalez (No. 6 Atlantic) at third singles, 6-1, 6-4.

Baich (No. 13 Atlantic) and Minchenkova (No. 14 Atlantic) met at fourth singles, but did not finish with Baich ahead 7-6, 1-4.

The Lakers now await the NCAA Tournament selection show, which will take place on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

 

Singles competition

1. S. Gomez de Segura (MER-W) def. Jarka Petercakova (IUP) 6-3, 6-4

2. Luise von Agris (IUP) def. Kayla Frost (MER-W) 6-1, 6-2

3. Raquel Gonzalez (IUP) def. Adrianna Jeffress (MER-W) 6-1, 6-4

4. Annie Baich (MER-W) vs. EkaterinaMinchenkova (IUP) 7-6, 1-4, unfinished

5. Adina Spahalic (MER-W) vs. Rachel Wood (IUP) 6-2, 3-6, unfinished

6. Sophie Butland (IUP) def. Carmen Mantecon Duro (MER-W) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. Adrianna Jeffress/Kayla Frost (MER-W) def. Luise von Agris/Jarka Petercakova (IUP) 8-4

2. Rachel Wood/Raquel Gonzalez (IUP) def. Annie Baich/S. Gomez de Segura (MER-W) 8-5

3. Sophie Butland/EkaterinaMinchenkova (IUP) def. Adina Spahalic/Alexia Nay (MER-W) 7-6, retired

Match Notes

Indiana (PA) 19-5 (5-1 PSAC)

Mercyhurst 17-2 (6-0 PSAC)