CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Webster University Women's Tennis continued its spring season here Saturday by falling in back-to-back hard-fought 5-4 matches to Coe College and Central (Iowa) College at Clark Racquet Center.
Despite the losses, Webster head coach John Black was pleased with the way his team played against strong competition.
"In both matches, we were right there, but couldn't get that elusive fifth point," Black said. "But overall, I thought we played strong tennis against two strong and experienced teams."
With the two setbacks, Webster fell to 3-5 on the season, while Cole moved to 7-4 and Central (Iowa) is now 6-6 on the year.
The Gorloks opened Saturday's action with a match against Coe.
Against the Kohawks, Webster opened by taking two of the three doubles matches, including its No. 1 team of freshman Erin Brezovar ((Muskego, Wis./Muskego) and junior Maggie Federhofer (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) picking up an 8-5 win over Coe's No. 1 team of Eliza Sundermann and Ella White.
The other doubles point for Webster came from sophomore Emma Ferguson (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan) and junior Alyssa Tourville (Belleville, Ill./Kaskaskia College) at the No. 2 spot as the Gorlok tandem won 8-3.
At No. 3 doubles, freshman Elizabeth Hill (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) and sophomore Navone Armstrong (St. Louis, Mo./McCluer North) battled throughout its match with Michaela Pinto and Christine Puleo, but the Coe duo pulled out an 8-7 win.
In singles play, Brezovar and Tourville gave the Gorloks their two points in singles as Brezovar defeated Emma Lassen in a tiebreaker, 14-12 after the two split the first two sets, 1-6, 6-4.
Tourville earned Webster's other point in singles as she defeated Puleo at the No. 4 spot, 6-4, 6-3.
Two of the other four matches in singles went to a third set tiebreaker as Coe's Sophia Craig defeated Armstrong, 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 at No .5 singles and then Ferguson fell 6-1, 3-6, 10-6 at No. 6 singles to Pinto.
Coe also won at No. 1 and No. 3 singles to earn the match victory.
Meanwhile, in the match against Central College, the Dutch opened by winning two of the three doubles matches with Webster's lone doubles point coming at the No. 1 spot as Brezovar and Federhofer won 8-6 over the tandem of Maddie Hartley and Brownwyn Metcalf.
In singles play against Central, the Gorloks got wins from Brezovar, Federhofer and Ferguson at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6 singles with Federhofer's match at No. 3 needing a third set tiebreaker as Federhofer fell to Metcalf, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6.
Central, who is now 6-6 on the season, would pick up wins at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5 singles to seal its match victory.
The Gorloks will return to action next Sunday, March 8 as they being play in the Spring TennisFest in Hilton Head, S.C. against Nazareth College at 7:30 a.m. CT at the Chaplin Park Tennis Center.
