Jackets Drop Several Close Matches in PAC Loss
After previously winning against a team near last place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, the Waynesburg women’s tennis team lost 7-2 to the second to last team in the conference, Thiel Tomcats, Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Thiel was next to last in the PAC coming into the day, but they would leave the courts with their first win of the season against the Jackets.
Waynesburg entered the contest with a 1-6 record and 1-3 in PAC play but would leave the court 1-4 in the conference after the loss.
The defeat, head coach Ron Headlee said, was one he was not expecting.
“I definitely thought it was a match we could have won,” said Headlee. “I didn’t think we played our best; I was a little disappointed.”
The two wins came from Waynesburg junior and number two singles player, Wendy Wall, and senior and number three singles player, Heidi Evans. Despite only winning two singles matches, the number one and two doubles matches were competitive with scores of 8-6 and 9-7, respectively.
The losses were ones that Headlee said came from unforced errors.
“We had a lot of unforced errors,” said Headlee. “We couldn’t fight our way back.”
Unforced errors, which are shots that do not make it over the net or land outside of the courts’ bounds, were something that sophomore Aubree Brown made note of happening in the first doubles match.
“I think I had couple more unforced errors than usual,” said Brown. “I made a couple of errors at the net that I don’t usually make.”
With unforced errors accounted for, Thiel is a team that Headlee said played well.
“I have to give them credit; they played really well,” said Headlee. “They hit their lines really well.”
Headlee also added that Thiel’s number one made really good shots; Brown said she was not expecting how well she was.
“She had good shots,” said Brown. “I was really surprised with how well placed they were.”
Headlee offered an explanation as to why the team seemed off.
“A lot of our girls can’t make practices,” said Headlee “Whenever you’re off, you never know who you’re going to have.”
Headlee went on to explain that some of the girls have class conflicts that keep them from attending practice and that makes it hard to have rhythm on the court.
The match is something that Headlee hopes he and the women can learn from.
“We have to keep our head up and learn from it,” said Headlee. “It’s things we can learn from and improve on.”
Waynesburg’s next match was Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m., as the Jackets took on the Frostburg State Bobcats past deadline for this week’s publication. The Jackets will take on Penn State Behrend at home at 3:30 p.m.