LAWRENCE, Kan. – Sterling College women’s tennis faced two difficult opponents on Friday and Saturday, March 6-7. The Lady Warriors started with a 7-0 loss to Baker on Friday, followed by a 7-0 loss to William Wood on Saturday.
Against Baker, the Lady Wildcats claimed the doubles point after 6-0 wins in both the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles match with Hannah Giordanelli and Greta Fankhauser facing Laura Cabello Aguilera and Arizbe Espinosa in the No. 1 match and Danna Arroyo and Jessica Gautreau facing Dayna Steadman and Michel Perez Sandoval in the No. 2 match.
The Lady Warriors continued to battle in singles play but were unable to gain any traction. Arroyo faced Cabello Aguilera in the No. 1 singles match where she lost 6-0, 6-2. Giordanelli took on Espinosa in the No. 2 singles match but fell 6-1, 6-1. The final three singles matches were lost 8-0, with Fankhauser taking on Steadman in the No. 3 singles match, Elysa Apen facing Perez Sandoval in the No. 4 singles match and Gautreau rounding out the field in the No. 5 singles match against Emma Cain.
Troubles continued for Sterling on Saturday, as William Wood started the day by winning the doubles point. Arroyo and Giordanelli took on Samya Sikand and Charlotte Ready in the No. 1 doubles match, losing 6-2. Fankhauser and Gautreau also fell 6-2 in the No. 2 doubles match against Kristina Dimitrijevic and Chloe Hecker.
Despite the slow start, The Lady Warriors would not go away quietly. Arroyo played Dimitrijevic in a closely contested No. 1 singles match coming up just short, 6-2, 7-6. Giordanelli came away with a 6-2, 6-0 loss in No. 2 singles against Hecker. In No. 3 singles, Fankhauser lost 6-3, 6-2 to Zara Littlejohn. Gautreau Apen closed out the field in the No. 4 and No. 5 singles match both losing 6-0, 6-0 to Bieke Roovers and Lily Hopson, respectively.
Sterling (0-4) will open up conference play this week against McPherson College (2-3) in McPherson, Kan. on Thursday, March 12 at 3 p.m.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
