Box Score

INDIANA, Pa. – Battling cold temperatures with a reconfigured lineup, the 36th-ranked IUP women's tennis team defeated 46th-ranked Mercyhurst 5-4 on Tuesday afternoon at the Maple Street Courts.
 
The win was important at both the conference and regional level, as IUP entered the match ranked second while Mercyhurst is third in the Atlantic Region by the ITA.
 
The Crimson Hawks also remained undefeated on the year, improving to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. Mercyhurst falls to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in the division.
 
Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) gave the Crimson Hawks a 4-3 lead with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at fifth singles. Claudia Menes (Spain/San Eutiquio) then fought through injuries to clinch the match at No. 4 singles, rallying for a 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 victory over Annie Baich.
 
Luise von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium), moving up to play at the No. 2 spot for just the second time this season, also scored a huge win with a dominating 6-1, 6-0 victory over Adrianna Jeffress. Jeffress is ranked seventh in the region while von Agris is ranked ninth.
 
The Crimson Hawks got out to a 2-1 lead after doubles play, starting with an 8-2 win at No. 1 by 21st-ranked Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) and von Agris. Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) stepped up to No. 2 doubles to team with Wood, fighting back from a 5-2 deficit to earn a 9-7 win over Baich and Saioa Gomez. Menes and Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) dropped a tight 8-6 decision at No. 3.
 
It's the first of five straight home matches for IUP, including three this week. The Crimson Hawks will host 30th-ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's tennis on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPtennis.