Tuesday, April 16
Bethlehem, Pa.
3 P.M.
Lehigh University
4
vs
3
Bucknell University
Lin's win lifts Lehigh past Bucknell, 4-3
4/16/2019 9:32:00 PM | Women's Tennis
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In a match that ultimately came down to a third set at No. 5 singles, senior Grace Lin delivered for the Mountain Hawks, beating Sofia Ayuso 6-2 in the final set to earn the win and give Lehigh a 4-3 win over Bucknell Tuesday afternoon inside the Lewis Tennis Center.
The Mountain Hawks lost the doubles point in a tiebreak at the top flight, but battled back with the bottom four players in their singles lineup. In her next-to-last home match, Lin won in both singles and doubles to help Lehigh move to 6-10 overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League.
Bucknell suffers just its second league loss as the Bison fall to 13-6 and 3-2 in the league.
"This was an amazing team win," Lehigh head coach Sarah Hendrix said. "A huge shout out to senior Grace Lin for stepping up and winning her match in a 3-3 pressure situation."
Lin and junior Leigh Friedman opened doubles play with a 6-3 win over Jill Auteri and Mishi Papich. Bucknell won a 7-5 match at the No. 2 flight so the first point came down to the top flight, where Bucknell's Paige Leavy and Cayla Koch won a tiebreak 8-6 to top junior Sibel Can and sophomore Paula Gonzalez 7-6.
Singles action began with Bellini topping Can in straight sets to put Bucknell up 2-0 before the bottom of the Lehigh lineup went to work.
Freshman Elizabeth Nowak put Lehigh on the board with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Leavy at No. 3. Sophomore Catherine Meighan pulled the Mountain Hawks level with a straight set win over Auteri at No. 6. Sophomore Casey Zhong put Lehigh in front 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Papich at No. 4.
The match at No. 2 singles went to three sets with Koch rallying from a set down to beat Gonzalez 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 tying the match at 3-3.
Lin won her first set from Ayuso 6-4 and after dropping the second 6-1, came back to take the third 6-2 to clinch the victory for the Brown and White.
The Mountain Hawks will return to the courts on Thursday when they host Saint Joseph's at 3:30 p.m. Lin, Lehigh's lone senior, will be recognized prior to her final home match.
Lehigh 4, Bucknell 3
Doubles
1. Leavy/Koch (Bucknell) def. Can/Gonzalez (Lehigh) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Bellini/Ayuso (Bucknell) def. Nowak/Zhong (Lehigh) 7-5
3. Lin/Friedman (Lehigh) def. Auteri/Papich (Bucknell) 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Daniela Bellini (Bucknell) def. Sibel Can (Lehigh) 6-0, 6-1
2. Cayla Koch (Bucknell) def. Paula Gonzalez (Lehigh) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Elizabeth Nowak (Lehigh) def. Paige Leavy (Bucknell) 6-2, 7-5
4. Casey Zhong (Lehigh) def. Mishi Papich (Bucknell) 6-3, 6-4
5. Grace Lin (Lehigh) def. Sofia Ayuso (Bucknell) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
6. Catherine Meighan (Lehigh) def. Jill Auteri (Bucknell) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 6, 4, 2, 5
The Mountain Hawks lost the doubles point in a tiebreak at the top flight, but battled back with the bottom four players in their singles lineup. In her next-to-last home match, Lin won in both singles and doubles to help Lehigh move to 6-10 overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League.
Bucknell suffers just its second league loss as the Bison fall to 13-6 and 3-2 in the league.
"This was an amazing team win," Lehigh head coach Sarah Hendrix said. "A huge shout out to senior Grace Lin for stepping up and winning her match in a 3-3 pressure situation."
Lin and junior Leigh Friedman opened doubles play with a 6-3 win over Jill Auteri and Mishi Papich. Bucknell won a 7-5 match at the No. 2 flight so the first point came down to the top flight, where Bucknell's Paige Leavy and Cayla Koch won a tiebreak 8-6 to top junior Sibel Can and sophomore Paula Gonzalez 7-6.
Singles action began with Bellini topping Can in straight sets to put Bucknell up 2-0 before the bottom of the Lehigh lineup went to work.
Freshman Elizabeth Nowak put Lehigh on the board with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Leavy at No. 3. Sophomore Catherine Meighan pulled the Mountain Hawks level with a straight set win over Auteri at No. 6. Sophomore Casey Zhong put Lehigh in front 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Papich at No. 4.
The match at No. 2 singles went to three sets with Koch rallying from a set down to beat Gonzalez 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 tying the match at 3-3.
Lin won her first set from Ayuso 6-4 and after dropping the second 6-1, came back to take the third 6-2 to clinch the victory for the Brown and White.
The Mountain Hawks will return to the courts on Thursday when they host Saint Joseph's at 3:30 p.m. Lin, Lehigh's lone senior, will be recognized prior to her final home match.
Lehigh 4, Bucknell 3
Doubles
1. Leavy/Koch (Bucknell) def. Can/Gonzalez (Lehigh) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Bellini/Ayuso (Bucknell) def. Nowak/Zhong (Lehigh) 7-5
3. Lin/Friedman (Lehigh) def. Auteri/Papich (Bucknell) 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Daniela Bellini (Bucknell) def. Sibel Can (Lehigh) 6-0, 6-1
2. Cayla Koch (Bucknell) def. Paula Gonzalez (Lehigh) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Elizabeth Nowak (Lehigh) def. Paige Leavy (Bucknell) 6-2, 7-5
4. Casey Zhong (Lehigh) def. Mishi Papich (Bucknell) 6-3, 6-4
5. Grace Lin (Lehigh) def. Sofia Ayuso (Bucknell) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
6. Catherine Meighan (Lehigh) def. Jill Auteri (Bucknell) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 6, 4, 2, 5
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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