FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Salisbury University women's tennis team began its 2017 season on Saturday with a pair of neutral-site matches, dropping a pair of 6-3 contests to Franklin & Marshall College and Methodist University, both played at the University of Mary Washington.
Franklin & Marshall 6, Salisbury 3
In Salisbury's opener, the Sea Gulls found themselves in a 3-0 hole through doubles play. Freshmen Annika Kezman and Julia Kwedi had the closest match of doubles, falling 8-6 at the No. 1 position. Sophomore Shannon Hickman and junior Sage Cole fell at No. 3 doubles, 8-5 and senior Claudia Lohn and sophomore Taylor Cooper suffered an 8-4 defeat at No. 2.
Salisbury got three points from the top three spots in singles play with Kezman claiming a 6-4, 3-6, 10-2 win at No. 1 singles while Kwedi and Lohn won in straight sets. Kwedi picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 and Lohn was good for a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3.
The Diplomats (1-0) got three wins in the second half of the singles lineup, but not without a fight. It took three sets to take down Cooper at No. 4, who fell after winning the first set, 7-5, dropping the next two sets 6-4, 10-6. Cole got to a tie break in her first set, but lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 at No. 5, while Hickman took a 6-0, 6-3 defeat at No. 6.
Methodist 6, Salisbury 3
In their final match of the day, the Sea Gulls (0-2) got one doubles point from Kwedi and Kezman at the top singles slot, 8-4, and just missed out on a second point, with Cole and freshman Jordan Schaefer coming up just short in a 9-7 decision. Lohn and Cooper fell 8-3 at No. 2 to round out the doubles scoring.
Kezman and Lohn accounted for the two singles points for Salisbury, with Kezman going for a 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 2 and Lohn again collecting the No. 3 victory 6-4, 6-2.
The Monarchs (2-2) were able to claim the win with four other points, but Salisbury saw close battles from Kwedi and Cooper, searching for more points. Kwedi, playing at No. 1 singles, went three sets after winning the first, but dropped a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 match and Cooper pushed Same Munze to the limit at No. 4, falling 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
The Sea Gulls are back on the courts on Sunday, February 19 to take on No. 15 Mary Washington. That contest will begin at 9 a.m.
