Wilkes Women's Tennis Pushes Bloomsburg in Defeat

BLOOMSBURG, PA – The Wilkes University women's tennis team challenged themselves against the Division II Huskies on Thursday afternoon before eventually falling 5-2 at the Burt Reese Tennis Center.

Wilkes drops to 11-4 overall on the season.

Doubles play started with the #2 duo of Alexa Cieri (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) and Dagney Markle (New Oxford, PA/New Oxford) being dispatched 0-6 to begin the match. #3 Francesca Varela-Seri (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) and Sarah Malone (Williamsport, PA/Loyalsock) evened it up after picking up a 6-2 win but Bloomsburg took the solo doubles point by doubling up #1 Dasha Yakhnis (Verona, NJ/Verona) and Dana Saliyev (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks South) 6-3 to hold the advantage heading into singles play.

The Huskies added another point after dispatching #2 Yakhnis in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 to kick-off singles action.

The Colonels would not go down quietly though as they played their first of five straight three-setters, the first one going to the Huskies over #4 Erin Volutza (Sinking Spring, PA/Lancaster Catholic), who fell 0-6, 6-2, 0-1 (6-10).

Fortunately for Wilkes, the second three-setter would go in their favor as #1 Varela-Seri won 6-4, 0-6, 1-0 (10-3) to get the Colonels on the board, trailing 3-1

The Huskies took the next three-setter in a nail biter as they defeated #3 Saliyev 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8).

#5 Rachel Thomas (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) won her first set 7-5 but was blanked 0-6 in the second set before dropping the super breaker 0-1 (6-10) as Bloomsburg clinched the victory at 5-1.

Markle ended the match on a high note as she won her #6 match 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6) for the Colonels who took two of the five three-setters in an impressive showing against the Huskies.

Wilkes is back home on Saturday, April 27th when it welcomes Delaware Valley to the Ralston Athletic Complex at 11:00 a.m.