Despite strong doubles play, tennis falls to Georgetown

Every match was a close one, but the Pitt women’s tennis team still came up on the losing end… Every match was a close one, but the Pitt women’s tennis team still came up on the losing end of a 6-1 score as Georgetown captured all six of the singles matches to beat the Panthers at the Army-Navy Country Club indoor site Saturday night.

The Panthers secured the doubles point after winning the second and third doubles matches. The Hoyas’ Elizabeth Winokur and Stephanie Cohen defeated Jill Williams and Emily Hughes 8-0 in the first doubles match. But at No. 2 doubles, Pitt’s Becky Emmers and Annie Davies played strong in a tight match against Liddy Bartell and Adriann Gin to come up with a 9-7 win. Emmers and Davies were down 5-3 but fought back to take the match.

“That [win] was a big accomplishment,” head coach George Dieffenbach said. “Those two play aggressively, and they keep improving.”

Leah Friedman and Carlie Smith teamed up against Georgetown’s Kristin Dew and Sana Malouf for an 8-4 win. It was Friedman and Smith’s first time playing together, and they got upearly, 6-3, and finished strong.

Dieffenbach was pleased with Friedman and Smith’s first performance together.

“They played very well,” Dieffenbach said. “They played hard, smart and showed very promising results.”

In singles play, Pitt put up a strong fight in six tightly contested matches, but did not come up with any singles wins.

“Georgetown had a strong team this year and [is] much improved since last year,” Dieffenbach said, “Especially their singles lineup.”

Williams, who is looking for her 95th overall career win, lost a close match at the No. 1 spot against Georgetown’s Winokur, 7-6 (0), 6-4. Emmers played for Pitt at No. 2 and was also defeated, 6-2, 6-2, by Cohen. Bartell won, 6-3, 6-2, in the third singles match for the Hoyas against Davies while Pitt freshman Friedman lost at No. 4 singles against Gin, 6-2, 6-4.

Pitt’s Hughes and Smith gave the Hoyas a particularly tough battle in the last two singles matches.

“We were very competitive at the first four singles matches.” Dieffenbach said. “But, we were dead even at five and six.”

Hughes, who has a 10-3 record in singles this year, lost to Georgetown’s Dew, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the No. 5 doubles match. Playing at No. 6, Pitt freshman Smith, was defeated in a super tiebreaker by Georgetown’s Malouf, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 10-8.

“Looking back upon the match, anything could have happened at any time,” Dieffenbach said.

It was a close match against tough competition, which is just the type of competition the Panthers welcome.

“Our players were matching themselves 110 percent, diving on the court,” Dieffenbach said. ” Georgetown just had a few more answers in the singles.”

Pitt is now 0-3 for their spring season. The Panthers will take on Mercyhurst College Feb. 19, at home.