KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The Kutztown University women's tennis team needed late wins from No. 5
Sarah Lazarchak (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) and No. 6
Mallory Barndt (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) in singles to overcome a 3-2 deficit and defeat Shepherd, 4-3, in its PSAC East opener Sunday afternoon at the Keystone Courts.
A three-match doubles sweep lifted the Golden Bears (4-3, 1-0 PSAC East) to an early 1-0 lead but the Rams (3-5, 0-1 PSAC East) fought back by winning three of the next four singles matches to be decided before Kutztown got the last two points to pull out the result it desired.
KU's No. 2 tandem of
Bieke Roovers (Leiden, Netherlands/Leonardo College) and Lazarchak captured a 6-3 victory over Isabella Mascari and Allison Cronk to get the Bears started in doubles.
Alejandra Vera (Manta, Ecuador/Unidad Educativa Particular) and
Emma Semery (Fuveau, France/HDN Academy) were 6-2 winners against Marketa Beladova and Ximena Bolanos at No. 1 and
Ava Lewis (Camp Hill, Pa./East Pennsboro) and Barndt topped Kayda Shives and Brianna Caceda, 6-4.
After Beladova defeated Vera at No. 1 singles, newcomer Semery gained a critical point for the Maroon and Gold at No. 3 with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Mascari to put Kutztown back in front, 2-1.
The next two points went to Shepherd as Bolanos beat Roovers in a back-and-forth match at No. 2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, and Cronk got past Lewis 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4.
Lazarchak held off Shives 7-5 in the first set before blanking her 6-0 in the second to tie the match at three. Fortunately for the Bears, Barndt was in control at No. 6. The freshman from Douglassville, Pa., ceded just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Caceda to decide the match in Kutztown's favor.
Kutztown returns to action Thursday, March 28, when it travels to West Chester for a PSAC East tilt with the Golden Rams. Match time is 2 p.m.
