BW Women’s Tennis Team Loses to Otterbein

Whitney Yoder

Posted: Apr 26, 2013

BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team lost to Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein University, 6-3, today (Friday, April 26, 2013) in an OAC dual match at the "Pop" Collins Tennis Courts. The Yellow Jackets end their season tomorrow, Saturday, April 27 when they host Marietta College at 1:00 p.m.

With its loss, BW drips to 10-10 overall and 5-3 in the OAC. Despite the loss today, the Yellow Jackets have won nine of their last 13 matches heading into the season-finale versus Marietta tomorrow. With its win, Otterbein improves to 15-4 overall and 7-1 in the OAC.

The Yellow Jackets took a 2-1 lead after doubles play, but Otterbein won five of six singles matches.

In doubles play, the No. 1 tandem of senior All-OAC player Rebecca Mittler (Elyria/ Elyria Catholic), who is this week's OAC Women's Tennis Player-of-the-Week, and freshman Kelsey Blatt (Tallmadge) beat Otterbein's No.1 tandem of junior Julie Stroyne and freshman Sammi Kruger by the score of 8-5 to improve to 12-13 overall. The win for Mittler was the 59th of her career and in eighth place on the all-time school doubles victory list. At No.3 doubles, the tandem of freshman Mackenzie Donalson (Hilliard/ Davidson) and junior Whitney Yoder (Ashland/ Senior) also won 8-6 to improve to 8-9 this season.

In singles play, Otterbein's Stroyne remained unbeaten this season at No.1 as she defeated Mittler by the scores of 6-3 and 6-4. Despite her loss, Mittler is 13-10 this season and has 55 career singles wins and ranks eighth all-time. Combined with her 59 doubles wins, Mittler has 114 career combination victories which ranks seventh all-time at BW.

In addition and at No.6 singles, Mackenzi Baker (Vermilion/ Elyria Catholic) defeated Otterbein's Emily Harper, 6-1, 2-6 and 10-3 in the tie-breaker.

The Yellow Jackets have won four of the past seven OAC titles and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament four times during that time span.

FOR MORE SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.