Results  |  Regional Rankings
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's tennis team picked up a 6-1 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory over Mercyhurst University Thursday at the SRU Tennis Courts.
 
With the win, Slippery Rock improves to 10-5 on the season overall and a perfect 3-0 in PSAC West competition while Mercyhurst drops to 7-11 overall and 2-2 in league play.
 
In addition to moving The Rock one step closer to clinching a berth into the upcoming PSAC Tournament, the win will also have a significant effect throughout the Atlantic Region.
 
Entering Thursday, Slippery Rock was ranked fourth in the regional rankings while the Lakers were slotted sixth. In the Atlantic Region, conference tournament champions from the PSAC, MEC and CIAA all earn automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament along with the remaining four highest ranked teams in the final batch of regional rankings.
 
The match was atypical as it actually began on Wednesday prior to being halted before the completion of the doubles matches and being resumed Thursday.
 
Prior to the match being halted on Wednesday, Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst split two doubles matches as the Lakers picked up a victory from the third flight when Valentine Budin and Sara Bertolez Puente were 6-0 winners against Zoe Heed and Georgie Lancaster before The Rock's No. 2 doubles team of Teddi Isherwood and Gabriela del Val del Toro bested Nadja Ostojic and Naomi Jahr 6-3.
 
The top doubles match that pitted The Rock's Lois Page and Adriana Gonzalez Sanchez against Roisin Murphy and Kayla Dean was stopped Wednesday with SRU leading 5-4. Upon resumption of the match, Page and Gonzalez Sanchez earned the decisive point for a 6-4 victory, giving Slippery Rock the early edge.
 
SRU gained an additional point prior to the start of the singles matches as Mercyhurst only fielded a five-person lineup, thus automatically giving SRU the sixth-flight point.
 
Nuria Martin Lopez promptly added to The Rock's lead courtesy of a 6-1, 6-3 win against Murphy from the fourth flight. The win was Martin Lopez's eighth straight.
 
Gonzalez Sanchez, the Reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week, proceeded to clinch the team victory for Slippery Rock following a 6-1, 6-4 win against Jahr in second-flight competition. The victory marked Gonzalez Sanchez's fourth consecutive win and sixth in her last eight matches overall.
 
Slippery Rock went on to pick up two more victories on the day as Isherwood bested Budin from the fifth flight (6-2, 7-6) while del Val del Toro earned a 6-4, 7-5 third-flight win against Ostojic.
 
While she ultimately lost the decision, Page nearly closed the afternoon with an incredible comeback against Dean in the top singles match. Following a 6-4 loss in the opening set, Page battled back to take the second set 10-8 before losing a third set super tiebreaker 10-7.
 
Slippery Rock returns to competition 3:30 p.m. Friday with a road match against Seton Hill University. The match will be played at Latrobe High School.
 
 
 



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