The Penn women's tennis team came into its match with Maryland looking to build on their early season success.
The Quakers showed up ready for the challenge, but faced a fired-up Maryland team, coming away with a 5-2 loss at Levy Tennis Pavilion.
The match started off with the No. 1 doubles, where freshman Julia Koulbitskaya and senior Shelah Chao took on the Terps' doubles team of Marianne Baker and Ramona But.
The two teams were evenly matched, and although Chao and Koulbitskaya picked up their level of play towards the end of the set, it appeared to be too little, too late as they fell 8-5 to Baker and But.
At No. 2 doubles, the Penn team of Raluca Ciochina and Michelle Mitchell found a formidable challenge in Maryland's Julia Graca and Jennifer Dent. The match consisted of hard-hitting and fast play as Penn was defeated, 8-5.
The Quakers' Kate Williams and Caroline Stanislawski faced the Maryland team of Tamar Huppes and Neda Mihneva in the No. 3 doubles. However, they were also defeated, 9-7, sealing the Terrapins' sweep in the doubles.
"The Maryland team was tough and they fought hard," Penn coach Michael Dowd said. "Maryland was just more pumped up than us."
After being swept for the doubles point, the Quakers (3-2) fared slightly better in the singles matches. But there was heartbreak also, especially in the No. 4 singles match.
It was a marathon featuring a battle of skills and endurance as Penn's Shelah Chao and Maryland's Veronika Subertova competed in three spirited sets. Chao took the first set, 7-6, but fell in the next two, 6-4, 6-4.
At No. 1 singles, Penn's Julia Koulbitskaya played well to defeat Maryland's Jennifer Dent in two sets, 6-2, 6-4.
In the No. 2 singles, a heated match between Penn freshman Yulia Rivelis and Maryland's Ramona But ended in with a two-set Quakers loss, 6-2, 6-4.
After Mitchell and Ciochina suffered straight-sets losses, the Quakers were finally able to get back on track, but it was not enough.
In a tough match, Penn was able to pull off a win as Caroline Stanislawski beat Tamar Huppes in two out of three sets, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Dowd was thoroughly impressed with the play of the Terrapins and noted that the level of play is that which his team is still trying to reach.
"Maryland was very team oriented, more so than us, and that's something we're going to work on," Dowd said.
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