(Posted September 14, 2008)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- The Juniata College women's tennis almost repeated last season's upset of Division I St. Francis University, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Red Flash on Sunday afternoon at the Raffensperger Tennis Courts in Huntingdon, Pa.

The Juniata men's team were unable to post a win over the Red Flash, falling to St. Francis by a 9-0 score.

The Eagle women's team posted wins at #1 and #3 doubles, but all four players dropped their singles matches. Amanda Fontana (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) and Katie Healy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) recorded a 9-7 win over Stephanie Rivera and Devynn Sarver at #1 doubles, while Lauren Perow (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) and Sarah Lieberman (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing Area) were victorious 8-3 at #3 doubles over the Red Flash duo of Maya Ranchod and Julie Meier.

However Fontana fell to St. Francis's Abby Ball at #1 singles, and Healy dropped her #2 singles match to Rivera. Perow lost to SFU's Julianna Gustafson at #5 singles in the closest match of the day, a 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) contest, while Lieberman fell in a marathon match to the Red Flash's Brianna Mapes, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.

Juniata's Maggie Wolenter (Audubon, N.J./Audubon) downed Sarver at #3 singles, 6-4, 6-2, and Caroline Weisser (York, Pa./York Suburban) defeated St. Francis' Ashley Zalewski, 7-5, 6-2 at #4 singles, but the two dropped their #2 doubles match when they paired up against SFU's Ball and Zalewski.

On the men's side, Jonanthan Skoner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) carried St. Francis' Andrei Sandu into a third set at #1 singles, before falling 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Jarrad Silver (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) also waged a hard-fought match at #2 singles, losing 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 to the Red Flash's Steve Kowalski.

Ross Imbrie (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) and Vincent Xie (Szechuan, China) came the closest to pulling off the upset in double competition, as the pair dropped a 9-7 decision to St. Francis' David Kirby and Steve Child at #3 doubles. Silver and Arnab Chakrabarti (Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta) lost an 8-3 decision to Kowalski and Jeff Seevers at #1 doubles, while Aaron Rhodes (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) and Skoner lost to Sandu and Nathan Fleming at #2 doubles, 8-5.

The Eagles were swept in straight sets at #3 through #6 singles, with Chakrabarti and Rhodes both falling 6-2, 6-4 and #4 and #5 singles respectively.

With the losses, both teams even their records at 1-1 on the season. Both teams return to action next Sunday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Harrisburg, Pa., to face Penn State-Harrisburg at 12:00 p.m.

WOMEN'S TENNIS
St. Francis 5, Juniata 4

Doubles
#1 - Amanda Fontana/Katie Healy (JC) def. Stephanie Rivera/Devynn Sarver, 9-7
#2 - Abby Ball/Ashley Zalewski (SFU) def. Maggie Wolenter/Caroline Weisser, 8-3
#3 - Lauren Perow/Sarah Lieberman (JC) def. Maya Ranchod/Julie Meier, 8-3

Singles
#1 - Bell (SFU) def. Fontana, 6-4, 6-4
#2 - Rivera (SFU) def. Healy, 6-2, 6-3
#3 - Wolenter (JC) def. Sarver, 6-4, 6-2
#4 - Weisser (JC) def. Zalewski, 7-5, 6-2
#5 - Julianna Gustafson (SFU) def. Perow, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
#6 - Brianna Mapes (SFU) def. Lieberman, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2

MEN'S TENNIS
St. Francis 9, Juniata 0

Doubles
#1 - Steve Kowalski/Jeff Seevers (SFU) def. Jarrad Silver/Arnab Chakrabarti, 8-3
#2 - Nathan Fleming//Andrei Sandu (SFU) def. Aaron Rhodes/Jonathan Skoner, 8-5
#3 - Steve Child/David Kirby (SFU) def. Ross Imbrie/Vincent Xie, 9-7

Singles
#1 - Sandu (SFU) def. Skoner, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
#2 - Steve Kowalski (SFU) def. Silver, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
#3 - Jordan Kowalski (SFU) def. Ryan Navarro, 6-3, 6-1
#4 - Fleming (SFU) def. Chakrabarti, 6-2, 6-4
#5 - Seevers (SFU) def. Rhodes, 6-2, 6-4
#6 - Child (SFU) def. Imbrie, 6-0, 6-4


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