Quakers suffer first loss of season

Nittany Lions win withNittany Lions win withvictory in final doublesNittany Lions win withvictory in final doublesmatch of the day It had to happen sometime. The Penn women's tennis team run of three consecutive victories in dual matches to start off the season was brought to an abrupt halt Saturday, as the Quakers fell to the Penn State, 5-4. For the Quakers (3-1), the match was an emotional roller coaster. Five of the six singles matches, which were split evenly between the two teams, 3-3, were taken to three sets. The domination that Penn has displayed over the first few weeks of the season quickly vanished in the midst of a potent foe, which not only proved their equal in talent, but in determination as well. "They're definitely a respectable team," Penn freshman Allie Lacika said. "But we had our chances." For freshman Anastasia Pozdniakova, who has perhaps been the most dominant player for Penn over the past few weeks, it was a taste of the challenges to come. Making her second appearance as Penn's No. 1 singles player, she suffered her first defeat in a dual match, losing in three sets, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. No. 2 singles player Brooke Herman, making her first appearance since twisting an ankle two weeks ago at the Eastern Collegiates, was dealt her first loss since transfering to Penn, losing in three sets. "Overall it was a pretty emotional day," Lacika said. "We really wanted to go out and beat those guys." As is usually the case, it was a wily veteran who turned the tide. Junior co-captain Lara Afanassiev, Penn's No. 3 singles player, came through in the clutch player, winning in three sets, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. It was a match that Penn desperately needed. After Penn's No. 4 player, sophomore Karen Ridley, outdueled her foe in three sets, No. 5 Julia Feldman shocked everyone by disposing of her opponent in a mere two sets, 6-4, 6-1. Afterwards, Feldman was so impressed with her performance, she could only talk about her own match. "I can't help myself," Feldman said. With the sudden surge, the Quakers had turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. All that remained in singles play was the No. 6 match, featuring Penn junior co-captain Andi Grossman. A Quaker victory here would have assured them the match. The players split the first two sets, before Grossman lost the third set by the final score of 6-4. With the singles matches split, all eyes turned towards the doubles. The Penn duo of Afanassiev and Feldman, which has suffered only one match this season, escaped the top doubles match with a 8-5 victory. The No. 2 doubles match was almost as close, but this time it ended in Penn State's favor, with the Penn team of Ridley and Lacika losing 8-4. Fittingly enough, the teams were left where they had started -- deadlocked. In the final doubles match, Pozdniakova was teamed up with sophomore Romy Mehlman. The immense pressure placed on the young team, coupled with the fact that the two had never played together before, probably played a decisive part as the pair fell by the final score of 8-5. After the match, the Quakers tried to find a silver lining in the devastating loss. The realization that almost any one of them could have made the difference was not lost on the team. As Lacika noted, the loss only made the players more united and determined than ever. "We really can see now what we need to focus on for the season," Lacika said.