KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Shepherd jumped out to a 1-0 lead after doubles and captured three of the first four singles decisions before Kutztown pulled back a pair of points in the late going of a 4-3 PSAC East loss at the Keystone Courts Friday afternoon.
The Golden Bears' third doubles team of
Sarah Lazarchak (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) and
Jessika Klo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) were 6-4 winners over Claire Dean and Quinn Madden, but it wasn't enough to keep the visiting Rams from taking the one available point via matching 6-2 wins by their top tandem of Isabella Mascari and Ally Frushour and No. 2s Morgan Burner and Johnna Smith.
Shepherd (7-6, 3-1 PSAC East) extended its lead to 3-0 with victories at third and second singles before
Claudia Makarski (Garfield, N.J./Paramus Catholic) got KU on the board with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Mascari at No. 1.
Lazarchak tried to keep the Bears (2-10, 2-4 PSAC East) in the hunt, but her valiant second-set performance ended in defeat in a tiebreaker as the Rams secured the match with a 6-0, 7-6 (2) win by Smith at No. 4.
Brianna Wendling (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) bested Dean 6-0, 6-4 at No. 5 and Klo took care of Madden 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 to close the final game to 4-3.
Prior to Friday's match, head coach
Wyatt Pauley and the women's team honored their lone senior,
Catherine Maher (Shillington, Pa./Berks Catholic). Maher has won 27 combined matches in her career (17 singles, 10 doubles) and was a 2021 All-PSAC East First Team Singles selection after going 5-4 overall.
Kutztown will make up its non-conference match at Penn State Harrisburg Saturday at noon. The teams were to meet Thursday, March 24, but rain forced a postponement.
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