The frigid temperatures and light snowfall pushed the Eagles and Cavaliers indoors at the Lexington Racquet Club on Saturday afternoon.

The Ashland University women’s tennis team fell 8-1 to the Walsh Cavaliers in their last match of the fall season on Saturday (Oct. 17).

“The momentum to start the match was very high,” said senior Kendal Stephens. “Especially since the seniors knew that that would be our last match.”

Unfortunately, the team couldn’t keep the momentum throughout the match. 

The Eagles played well in doubles, especially for Stephens and senior Daniela Alves who battled with Walsh University’s Asia Harris and Ariana Kravitz. 

Stephens and Alves forced a tiebreaker against the Walsh duo, but ultimately dropped the match 9-8, 8-6.

Stephens felt their doubles match shifted the momentum of the team for their remaining matches.

“Everyone still wanted to play hard in their singles but it didn’t fall that way,” said Stephens. “It was a lot harder being down 0-3 than it is 1-2.”

The Eagle duo of freshman Natalie Keron and senior Andrea Ruiz also fell short to their opponents, Alice Bergamaschi and Snezhana Kiselva, 9-8, 7-5.

Stephens was able to secure the lone point for the Eagles, as she defeated Cavaliers’ Gabriela Laguna-Leon, 6-3, 6-2, in fifth singles. 

“I was so excited,” said Stephens. “I needed to win for myself and to go on a great note and say that I had a great college season.”

Keron and junior Meghann Fitzpatrick went neck-to-neck with their Cavaliers’ opponents. Keron faced Walsh’s Ariana Kravitz, but ended up dropping 6-4, 6-3. Fitzpatrick forced a tiebreaker in third singles with Harris, but unable to hang on, she fell 6-4, 4-6, 7-10.

Even though the team didn’t end the season with the record they hoped, the team cherished the bonds they formed amongst each other.

“The team really bonded this year,” said Stephens. “We were really close and this year we had a good group of girls that really pushed themselves to get better.”

The Eagles will return to the courts in the spring. The first spring match is scheduled at Mercyhurst on Feb. 28.