BUCKHANNON, W.Va. -- Brianna Wendling (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) won the deciding match at No. 4 singles as the Kutztown University women's tennis team picked up a 4-3 non-conference victory at West Virginia Wesleyan Friday afternoon.
With both teams shorthanded, a modified scoring system was used per Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rules. The Golden Bears had five available players and the Bobcats four, resulting in each match counting for a point towards the team score.
The teams played to a stalemate through doubles, WVWC (1-12) going in front on a 6-1 win at No. 1 from Omolade Aderemi and Cayley Symons, before Kutztown (7-9) responded with a 6-1 win from
Sarah Lazarchak (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) and
Jessika Klo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) at No. 2.
Klo won by default at fifth singles to put the Bears in front for the first time and the visitors' lead expanded to 3-1 when
Jess Marks (Allentown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) defeated Megan Meyer 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3.
The Bobcats would rally to even the match on a 6-0, 6-0 win by Aderemi at No. 1 and a hard-fought third-set victory from Symons against Lazarchak at No. 2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
That left the match in Wendling's hands and she delivered. The junior, and Kutztown native, got by Raelyn Vance at fourth singles by convincing 6-2, 6-1 scores.
Kutztown will attempt to sweep the weekend in West Virginia tomorrow, but will need to go through a formidable opponent in Fairmont State to do so. Match time is set for 11 a.m.
