Greenville, PA. -- Freshmen Caylie Conlon (New Paris, PA, Chestnut Ridge) and Lauryn Kitchen (Clearfield, PA, Clearfield) opened their Mountie careers with victories en route to a 8-1 team win over host Thiel College on Saturday, September 2nd. 

Two down the line return winners gave the crucial 6-5 break to senior one doubles tandem Kendra Sines (Somerset, PA, Somerset) and Kierra Mountain (Roaring Spring, PA, Central), who were able to consolidate and take the match 8-5 despite early struggles with service holds. 

Patient baseline play and opportunistic volleying put the Mounties in strong positions deeper in the doubles lineup, with sophomore Julia Davis (Mount Pleasant, PA, Southmoreland ) and Conlon taking a controlled 8-1 victory at two. Kitchen secured a win at three doubles with senior Campbell McCann (Pittsburgh, PA, Avonworth ) to send Mount Aloysius into singles with a 3-0 lead on the Tomcats. 

Steady all-court tennis provided the edge for the Mounties deep in the lineup, with two through six singles earning straight-set victories. 

Match of the Meet

It was one singles which saw the highest level of tennis on the day, a three set affair pitting Tomcat defense against Mountie offense in stifling afternoon heat. Both players struggled with the effects of the sun from the onset, fatiguing quickly while facing difficultly maintaining first serve percentages on the southwest-facing side of the court. After dropping the first set in back-and-forth baseline exchanges 5-7, Sines found herself serving to stay in the match at 2-5 in the third with little in the gas tank. Adjusting forehand strategy and opting for aggressive pace production with less angle focus, handful of sledgehammer forehands garnered momentum for Sines, hitting through the firm Thiel defense for a dramatic set comeback finally taken 7-5 in the tiebreak. Despite an early lead in the match super tiebreak, labored movement from lower body tweaks gave way to late match Mountie errors, and Sines was unable to cap off an impressive display of aggressive baselining and personal fortitude with the individual victory, falling to the Tomcats in as tight a margin as can occur, 11-9 in the third. 

Up Next 

Mount Aloysius women's tennis hosts Pitt-Greensburg for the first AMCC match-up of the Mounties season on Sunday, September 3rd at 1:00pm.