CASSELBERRY, Fla. - The University of Northwestern Women's Tennis team will be heading back to Minnesota with some momentum. In its final match in Florida, UNW edged out Albion College 4-3 to conclude the trip with a 2-2 record.
Doubles matches were a good indication of how tight the match would be, as Albion won the No. 3 match, 6-2, over
Hannah Hyttsten (Becker, Minn./Becker) and
Abby Cimenski (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids), while Northwestern's No. 2 team of
Aby Ross (Chico, Calif./Central) and
Anne Clarke (Granite Falls, Minn./Yellow Medicine East) took its match, 6-3. The doubles point came down to the No. 1 match, and it delivered. The Britons were able to slip past
Rein Hayashi (Kyoto, Japan/Kansai Christian School) and
Sarah Langridge (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake), 7-5.
Needing to make up some ground in singles after falling behind 0-1, the Eagles rose to the occasion. Langridge won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2, while Ross claimed a 6-3, 6-1 win in the No. 3 match to take the lead. Clarke extended the lead with a 6-4, 6-1 victory in the No. 6 spot, meaining UNW was one point away from clincing its third team win of the season. Albion made things interesting, defeating Hyttsten 6-4, 6-2, but Northwestern was able to prevail thanks to Hayashi, who emerged victorious at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). In the No. 5 match, Cimenski won the first set 6-2, but dropped the second, 3-6, and the tiebreak, 2-10.
The Eagles will have nine days to rest up before their next matches on Saturday, March 21st, where they will take on Wartburg in Rogers, and Minnesota Morris in White Bear Lake.
