Lightning Women’s Tennis Succumbs to Delaware State

Injuries Plague Lightning in Upset Bid

Freshman Laura Cure (above) was very competitive in her singles and doubles matches. (File Photo)

Boxscore

DOVER, Del. – The Lightning were competitive in some individual matches and two doubles matches, but they were ultimately outmatched by Division I Delaware State as the Goldey-Beacom College women's tennis team fell to the Hornets, 7-0 on Sun. afternoon.

Sophomore Blanca Sancho made her singles match interesting at the No. 1 spot against DSU's Anna Ratnikova before bowing out, 6-3, 6-1. Also, freshman Laura Cure took the Hornets' Kristina Aleksic to a tiebreaker before falling 6-2, 7-6 (5).

In doubles play, sophomores Vanessa Leon and Sancho teamed up at the No. 2 spot and gave a valiant effort in an 8-6 loss to Ratnikova and Polina Razborova. Cure and freshman Marie-Louise Klein also put a scare into DSU's third doubles pair of Aleksic and Hannah Adewumi before dropping an 8-5 decision.

Junior Marina Sales and freshman Gabriela Chaves, the Lightning's No. 1 pair that nearly pulled off a win last week against the University of Delaware, both were battling injuries as they fell to Cristina Andrade and Marina Sicic, 8-0. Both opted out of singles play, and thus, head coach Joe Kissel had to find replacements at the No. 3 and No. 6 slots.

Sophomore Anastasia Chibrikova won her exhibition singles match over Palesa Motshidi, 8-2 and then unexpectedly had to fill in for Chaves at the No. 6 spot, where she fell to Adewumi, 6-0, 6-2.

The Lightning, ranked No. 5 in the East Region, fell to 11-4 on the season. They host Shippensburg at 12 p.m. on Sat., Mar. 26.

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