BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University men's and women's tennis teams dropped a pair close matches on Saturday, with both squads falling 4-3 to North Alabama. It was the first loss on the 2010 season for the Hilltoppers, while the Lady Toppers had their two-match winning streak snapped.
The Lady Toppers (3-3) did secure the doubles point in their match, taking two out of three. Fionna Heuff and Katrina Vucina improved to 5-1 as a doubles team, taking down Victoria Rees and Mallory Waits of North Alabama 8-6, while Megan Stephens and Jessi Brown also picked up a win for WKU in doubles competition. North Alabama would respond in singles competition, taking four out of six from WKU to secure a 4-3 overall win. Leanne Caplinger, playing at the No. 5 spot for the Lady Toppers, improved to 4-2 on the season after defeating Ashley Alfonso 6-1, 6-2. WKU would then pick up its only other singles win from Lauren Arnold at the No. 6 position, as she defeated Jessica Keehn.
Much like on the women's side, the men would pick up the doubles point after taking two out of three in doubles competition, but North Alabama would take four of six in singles, handing the Hilltoppers (4-1) their first loss of the season. Thomas Krug and Craig Kirchgessner improved to 3-1 as a doubles team, defeating Bruno Zuleta and Carlos Cardenas of North Alabama 8-5. Currie Martin and Priyank Gangadharan also picked up a doubles win, taking down the team of Jan Miskos and Clint Johnson 9-8. However, in singles, only Thomas Krug and Lance Freeman were able to pick up wins for WKU. Krug, playing at No. 1 for the Hilltoppers, won his fourth match in a row, defeating Jan Miskos 6-3, 6-0., while teammate Lance Freeman, playing from the No. 5 spot, defeating Clint Johnson in three sets, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was the third straight singles win for Freeman, who improves to 4-1 on the year.
The Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers will look to exact revenge on North Alabama, as the two schools will meet again Saturday, March 6 in Florence, Ala. The match will start a stretch of four consecutive matches in the state of Alabama for the WKU tennis program. After playing North Alabama, WKU will travel to Alabama State, West Alabama and Alabama A&M, before returning to the state of Kentucky to take on Union College in Barbourville, Ky., on Sunday, March 21.
