PERRYSBURG, Ohio - The Western Michigan women's tennis team saw its three-match win streak snapped in its first Mid-American Conference competition of the season, as the Broncos were edged 4-3 by the Bowling Green State Falcons at the Perrysburg Tennis Club on Saturday, March 22. With the loss, the Broncos fall to 11-6, 0-1 in MAC play.
WMU bounced back from dropping the doubles point to take the first three points of the singles session, taking a 3-1 edge over the Falcons midway through the match. However, Bowling Green bounced back themselves and won the final three points of the match to earn the 4-3 victory.
After the doubles duo of Caroline Aleck and Kathleen Hawkins notched the sole doubles win of the session for WMU, the Broncos stormed out to a hot start in the singles session. Tracy Kuhle picked up the first point of the day for the Broncos, defeating Drew Fillis 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 5 singles match. Yuriko Ono was the next Bronco to strike, cruising past Harley Hutchison 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 6 singles match, and Aleck completed her perfect day by taking a first-set tiebreaker against Hannah Drayton en route to a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win at No. 4 singles.
The Falcons took the final three singles matches of the session, though, including a three-set win at No. 1 singles and a straight sets victory at No. 2. Bowling Green capped the day with a win over the Broncos' Meika Ashby at No. 3 singles, coming back from a set down for the win.
Bowling Green 4, Western Michigan 3
SINGLES
1 – Nikki Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Kathleen Hawkins 6-2, 2-6, 6-0
2 – Emily Reuland (BGSU) def. Nini Sujashvili 6-1, 6-4
3 – Katie Brozovich (BGSU) def. Meika Ashby 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4)
4 – Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Hannah Drayton 7-6 (4), 6-4
5 – Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Drew Fillis 6-3, 6-1
6 – Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Harley Hutchison 6-2, 6-1
DOUBLES
1 – Aleck/Hawkins (WMU) def. Fillis/Reuland 8-2
2 – Brozovich/Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Ashby/Ono 8-2
3 – Drayton/Hutchison (BGSU) def. Kuhle/Sujashvili 8-4
RECORDS
BGSU 6-4, 1-0 MAC
WMU 11-6, 0-1 MAC
ORDER OF FINISH
Doubles: 2,1,3
Singles: 5,6,4,1,2,3
LENGTH OF MATCH
4:25
