Straight 7s: SSU women tie program record for most wins in a single-season with 7-0, 7-0 wins over Marietta, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Strong leadership at the top of the line, more often than not, usually leads to strong results.
The women's tennis program at Shawnee State has maintained a strong leadership component at the top rung off of the court, and as a result, has delivered on it -- matching the program's most wins in a single season with 7-0, 7-0 results over Marietta and Mount Vernon Nazarene to claim the program's record-tying seventh victory of the 2024 season with its victories Friday evening and Saturday evening in Marietta and at Daehler Tennis Courts in Portsmouth.
Shawnee State didn't just take both matches against its in-state counterparts -- but dominated the proceedings in doing so, winning 64 of the 75 contested games against Marietta and 72 of the 98 contested games against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
The seven victories this season matches the 2020-21 group for the most wins in a single season in program history. That 2020-21 group featured the lone NAIA All-American in the history of the men's and women's tennis programs in Kierstin Hensley.
Additionally, each of the three seniors who are a part of the women's tennis program -- Lacey and Lexy Urban as well as McKenzie Harman -- were each honored. Lacey Urban, who was a part of that 2020-21 team as well, holds a 3.45 GPA in nursing while Harman and Lexy Urban, who will be NAIA Scholar-Athletes when that list is announced later in the spring, have 3.71 and 3.56 GPAs as physical therapy assistant and health science majors.
Friday, April 19 -- Shawnee State 7, Marietta 0
Against Marietta, Shawnee State easily wrapped up the doubles point as the No. 1 doubles unit of Vanessa Akuaku and Antonia Ilea wrapped up a clean sheet with an 8-0 victory over Marietta's Sarah Wallenfelz and Emily Comsikey, while the No. 2 doubles pairing of Lacey Urban and Brooklyn Foose nabbed an 8-2 triumph over Marietta's Riley Hayes and Ryah Haidar.
The Bears then wasted no time nabbing significant triumphs in singles play -- as Akuaku and Urban claimed 6-0, 6-1 victories at No. 1 and No. 2 singles over Wallenfelz and Comsikey. Ilea notched 6-2, 6-2 victories over Haidar at No. 3 singles while Foose closed out the match with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Hayes.
Saturday, April 20 -- Shawnee State 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0 (Senior Day)
Shawnee State enjoyed a similar roll through its opposition Saturday, defeating Mount Vernon Nazarene by a 7-0 margin as the No. 1 doubles pairing of Lacey and Lexy Urban and the No. 2 doubles tandem of Antonia Ilea and McKenzie Harman defeated Mount Vernon Nazarene's Emily Allison and Audrey Cochran (No. 1) and Kiersten Winey and Megan Vollrath (No. 2) by winning 12 of the 15 contested games, with the so-called 'Urbanites' winning in a straight 6-0 fashion.
The Bears then rolled by winning each of the five contested singles matches in straight set fashion, with Vanessa Akuaku defeating Cochran by a 6-4, 6-2 margin at No. 1 singles, Lacey Urban besting Allison by a 6-3, 6-4 count at No. 2 singles and Lexy Urban nabbing a victory over Winey, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Harman defeated Vollrath by a 6-3, 6-0 count at No. 4 singles while Brooklyn Foose closed the deal with a 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles over Deah Bresson -- finishing off the weekend sweep.
Additional
With regular season play in the books for Shawnee State, the Bears (7-13) will turn their attention to the upcoming River States Conference Tournament, which will be held in Evansville, Ind. next Friday and Saturday. Updates on the tournament will be coming later in the week.
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