Express fall to Penn State Berks in NEAC championship

Clarks Summit, PA (4/26/12) – The Wells College women's tennis team fought hard for their first NEAC championship Thursday in the conference finals at Birchwood Tennis Club, but were finally edged by Berks in the closest match of the year.  With the loss, the Express move to 6-1 in conference play and 8-5 on the year.

The Express got the early lead by winning 2 of 3 doubles matches, Taguchi and Ellis battled past Hitz and Harris at the 1^st slot earning an 8-5 win.  Copfer and Vanno avenged their earlier loss to Berks at 2^nd doubles with a lights-out display finishing 8-3 over Kehm and Fuller.  Shimazaki lead the charge with Pietruch at 3^rd doubles before surrendering their final service game and losing 8-6 to Fuller and Hatter.

With pressure at new heights for the season, all six singles matches began and would only stop once a team earned five total points and in-turn, the match.   Berks first leveled the score at 6^th singles, when Kelly Pietruch surrendered a 1-6, 1-6 loss to Hatter.  Next to the finish line was Marie Shimazaki at 5^th singles, who tilted the score back in the Express's favor with an impressive 6-3, 6-1 victory over Amanda Fuller.  With only a few moments to enjoy the lead, Crystal Hitz leveled the match for Berks with a well-earned 6-2, 6-2 victory of Chika Taguchi.  At 3 games all, Wells looked to be in trouble when Brittany Vanno lost a hard fought match at 4^th singles to Elizabeth Kehm 6-4, 6-3; however, Kate Ellis restored the teams hope by coming through a tough contest at 2^nd singles defeating Aimee Hoffman 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.  With one match still in action and score-line of 4-4, all attention went to Caitlyn Copfer and Arion Harris at 3^rd singles that were battling both nerves and exhaustion for the title.  After losing a close first set 4-6, Copfer widened her margins and acted out new strategies to earn a thrilling 7-6 (7-3) second set win to level the match.   The deciding third set started in Berks's favor, when Harris got out to a quick 4-1 lead, but the determined Copfer regained her power and confidence to blast winners and serves past the opponent and level the set at 4-4.  After a five minute medical time-out, Harris broke Copfer, but her rhythm returned pushing the final game to deuce several times before falling 4-6, 7-6, 4-6.  The Express were saddened with the loss, but showed remarkable support and grace as a team.  Wells was awarded the runner- up trophy for the NEAC championship match and a trophy for earning first place in NEAC season play.