BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The West Chester University women's tennis team's run in 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship ended on Friday with a 4-1 loss against Mercyhurst in the semifinals.
West Chester, the 2019 PSAC East Champions, drops to 11-7 overall this season after losing in the semifinals for the fifth consecutive year. Second-seeded Mercyhurst improves to 16-7 with Friday's win and will square off against top-seeded (W) Slippery Rock in the PSAC Championship match tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
Despite the loss, the Golden Rams still have a great shot to make the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons. Entering the PSAC Championship, the Golden Rams sat sixth in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, one spot ahead of the seven-team cut off four the tournament. IUP, the seventh team in the ranking, loss to Mercyhurst in PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday, so the bottom of the standings should remain unchanged heading into next week's NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Selection Show.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The duo of Julia Mowrey (BETHLEHEM, PA./NOTRE DAME) and Shannon Nixon (WYNCOTE, PA./CHELTENHAM) got the first win of the day at third singles, as the tandem defeated MU's Athina Tsagkarski and Hannah Wenzel, 6-2. The Lakers would bounce back with a 6-4 win at first flight and a 6-3 triumph at second position to earn the doubles point heading into singles action.
The Golden Rams' lone point in singles came at third position, as Alyssa Skulsky (CHURCHVILLE, PA/COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH) handed Ivona Plecevic a 7-5, 6-0 loss to represent the only scoring for West Chester on the day.
