The seniors on the Penn women's tennis team went to Norfolk, Va., Saturday looking for a sweep.
The Red and Blue had beaten Old Dominion three years in a row. Saturday, though, the tables turned.
In their first match of the year, the Quakers fell to the Monarchs, 7-0.
Although Old Dominion was able to keep the Red and Blue off the scoreboard, Penn put up a fight, as four of its six singles matches went to three sets.
"I think we just started out a little slow, and we never really were able to get back into the match," Penn women's tennis coach Sara Schiffman said. "With our slow start, [Old Dominion] was able to just capitalize on us."
The shaky start might have been expected, as the freshmen were fighting nerves in their first taste of collegiate competition.
"They were a little tight, and they just weren't playing like they had been in practice, so I think that will come with more experience," Schiffman said. "That's just what it takes-getting a lot more experience under their belts."
In order to get her younger players more "match tough," Schiffman looks to veterans like senior Lauren Sadaka.
"She's such a great competitor, and I think that really showed today," Schiffman said. "A lot of the other girls can take her competitiveness, her style of play and the way she played so hard and apply that to their games too. I think she was a good leader out there on the court."
Sadaka started off strong, winning 8-2 at No. 3 doubles - the only match Penn won all day - with her partner, freshman Emily Wolf.
At third singles, Sadaka took the first set and was up 4-2 in the second before ultimately yielding in a third-set tiebreaker.
"I thought I played well in the first set. I was being really aggressive with my forehand and moving the girl around a lot, and she was getting down on herself," Sadaka said.
"At 4-2 in the second set, she stepped up her game, and I wasn't attacking as much. I let her into the set more, which gave her the opportunity to win the set."
Wolf, Sadaka's doubles partner, looks forward to improving on today's match.
"We have to work on keeping the ball deep and keeping the same intensity," she said.
After her first college match, Wolf will rely on the support of her teammates to help her improve on Saturday's loss.
"When the whole team is behind your back, it's a better experience," she said.
