SPRINGFIELD — The Wittenberg women's tennis team opened North Coast Athletic Conference play with a 7-2 loss to Denison on Thursday.

The Basics

• Records: Wittenberg (9-3 overall, 0-1 NCAC), Denison (9-5 overall, 3-0 NCAC)
• Venue: Albright Tennis Complex - Springfield, Ohio
• Denison is ranked No. 31 nationally in the latest ITA NCAA Division III rankings, which were released on Wednesday.
• Denison entered Thursday's match owning 9-0 conference wins over Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan.
• Wittenberg is now 2-46 all-time against Denison.

The Match

• Denison won all three doubles courts, but Nos. 1 and 2 were tightly contested.
• Junior Caroline Sproule (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) and freshman Kylie Wilson (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) fell 6-8 at No. 1 doubles, and freshmen Sophia Pischalko (Granger, Ind./Penn) and Breanna Ball (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy) fell 6-8 at No. 2. Freshmen Claire Loomis (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and Lilly Hartman (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay) fell 1-8 at No. 3.
• Wittenberg won two of the six singles courts.
• Sproule won a tight battle at No. 1 singles, getting a 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 three-set victory to close out the match.
• Wilson won 7-6(2), 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
• Pischalko fell 3-6, 0-6 at No. 3 singles.
• Loomis fell 0-6, 1-6 at No. 4 singles.
• Ball fell 3-6, 3-6 at No. 5 singles.
• Hartman fell 3-6, 2-6 at No. 6 singles.

Quote - Head coach Jacob Rankin

• "We got a really good battle from all the girls today, and I think we'll take away a lot from the courts we lost. We are improving every day, and I'm excited to see where we'll be at the end of the season!"

Up Next

• The Tigers return to action on April 7, hosting NCAC foe Kenyon at 11 a.m. The Owls are No. 29 in the ITA rankings.