BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Seeking the program's first ever conference title, the Crimson Hawks fell to California (Pa.) by a score of 5-3 in the 2016 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Tennis Championship match on Saturday afternoon at Bloomsburg University.
The 5-3 score was the closest PSAC title match between these two schools, who have met each of the last six years for the conference crown, dating back to 2011.
This was Cal's 10th straight PSAC championship, while the Crimson Hawks have been runners-up for six consecutive years.
The Vulcans (17-3) got out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, although the Crimson Hawks made things interesting with a pair of close losses, including one that went to tie a breaker.
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) and
Luise von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) fell to 16th-ranked Kiefer Shaw and Leah Dimmer by a score of 9-8, 9-7 in the tiebreaker.
It was also close at No. 3, with
Claudia Menes (Spain/San Eutiquio) and
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) losing 9-7 to Alyssa Savill and Veronika Mikulis.
Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) and
Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) dropped the No. 2 spot to Jasi Witherspoon and Holly Bennett, 8-2.
The Crimson Hawks (20-4) attempted their comeback in singles play, starting with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win at No.1 by
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) over Shaw. It was Petercakova's second win of the year over Shaw after winning 6-4, 6-0 in the regular season.
Gonzalez picked up a victory at the third spot, going 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) over Witherspoon. Menes won at five, holding off Bennett for a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory.
The Crimson Hawks advanced to the championship with a 5-0 win over West Chester in the semifinals. That match had been originally scheduled for Friday, but was moved back one day due to rain, forcing IUP and Cal to play two matches in the same day.
The championship match featured the top two teams in the latest Atlantic Region rankings.
The next step for the Crimson Hawks is the Atlantic Region tournament, where they are expected to serve as one of two hosts. The regional championships will take place on Sunday and Monday, May 8-9. The winners of each of the two Atlantic Regional sites will advance to the NCAA Division II round of 16 in Denver, Colo. on May 18-21.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's tennis on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPtennis.
