By Cameron Niemi / The Jambar
Throughout the first eleven games of the spring 2024 season, the Youngstown State University women’s tennis team has two wins and nine losses.
The Penguins hosted Western Michigan University on Feb. 23. The Broncos defeated YSU, 5-2.
Youngstown State took an early 1-0 lead as it won two of the three doubles matches. Seniors Eliska Masarikova and Maria Oliveira picked up a 6-4 victory in the No. 2 doubles matchup.
Junior Julia Marko and freshman Lorena Cedeno had a 6-3 win in the No. 3 doubles match. With the win, the duo moved to 3-0 in their doubles matches for the spring season.
WMU went on to win five of the six singles matches against the Penguins. Cedeno had the only singles win for the Penguins, as she won in three sets, 3-6, 6-1 and 6-2. Three other singles matches went into a third set, where the Broncos came out on top.
YSU traveled to the University of Toledo on Feb. 25. The Penguins lost their third straight match, 6-1.
The Rockets took the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches 6-1, 6-4, and the No. 2 match went unfinished as Toledo took the doubles point winning two of the three matches.
Toledo won five of its singles matches over the Penguins. YSU had three matches go into a third set, winning just one.
Marko had the only win for the team in No. 2 singles, scoring 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.
YSU currently is 0-6 on the road this season, but holds a 2-3 record at home. Its two wins are against Niagara University and the University at Buffalo.
Despite a tough non-conference schedule, Youngstown State still has three matches remaining before Horizon League Play begins at the end of March.
The team will take on six conference teams leading into the Horizon League Women’s Tennis Championship on April 26 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Only six of the seven teams will advance into the championship bracket.
The defending 2022 and 2023 Horizon League Champions have hopes of becoming back-to-back Horizon League champions.
The Penguins will have a short break before hitting the road for two straight games. The team will travel to take on California State University, Northridge at 5 p.m. on March 7.
YSU will end its west coast trip against California State University, Fullerton at 4:30 p.m. on March 8.
The team will finish its last non-conference match against Duquesne University at 4 p.m. on March 15 inside the YSU Indoor Tennis Center.
