BRYN MAWR, Pa. - The Bryn Mawr tennis team returned to the hardcourt earlier Friday afternoon to open up their 2016-17 campaign, and the did so in a very dominant fashion. The Owls controlled play from the start and were able to cruise to a 6-3 victory over Immaculata in the contest. Lizzie Siegle and Sydney Kim both went 2-0 on the day to help pace the Owls to victory.
Em Prozinski and Julia Holeman paired up at third doubles and showed spectacular chemistry. The Owls duo blanked their opponents, winning their first match of 2016 in 8-0 fashion to get Bryn Mawr on the board. The pairing of Eram Haider and Caroline Horvatits followed soon behind. Haider, the lone senior on the squad this year, combined nicely with one of the young guns in Horvatits to win 8-1 over their counterparts at second doubles. Siegle and Kim closed out the doubles frame with another solid match of their own, also earning an 8-1 win to give Bryn Mawr the 3-0 lead out of the gate after doubles.
Siegle kept the positive momentum rolling with another easy win at first singles. The junior showed no signs of rust from the summer break, as she picked up a clean 6-2, 6-2 victory over Immaculata's Lauren Degnan. Siegle did a great job playing consistent tennis the whole match, keeping the ball in play and giving her opponent tough shots to react to. The same can be said of Kim's performance at third singles. The first-year clinched the victory for Bryn Mawr with a resounding 6-2, 6-0 win over her Mighty Macs opponent to get the Owls their decisive fifth win of the match. Fellow first-year Hanxiao Lu added an insurance win in her first collegiate match. Lu battled hard and earned a 6-1, 6-3 win at sixth singles to get a nice W.
Even in the losses, Bryn Mawr did a fantastic job of battling and working their opponents. Haider faced off against a strong competitor in Immaculata's Kelly Gross, who was able to win a 6-2, 6-3 contest on the day at second singles. Looking for her second win of the day, Horvatits put on a great showing at fourth singles but ultimately fell by a 6-4, 6-3 scoreline. In a very compelling match at fifth singles, Jennifer Laske made her return to the hardcourt for the Owls after a tough injury last year. The junior played a very entertaining brand of tennis on the afternoon, chasing down tough shots and staying motivated throughout the contest. However, Caitlin Savage had just enough left in the tank to close out the 6-4, 6-4 win to wrap up the afternoon.
With the win, the Owls open their season 1-0 for the second straight season under head coach Doanh Wang. They'll look to keep the positive momentum rolling next week as they continue their fall play against East Stroudsburg University. The Owls traveled to ESU last season and picked up a big 5-3 win last season, and they'll look to do the same again when the two sides face off at 4:00 PM on Tuesday here in Bryn Mawr.
