Posted: March 16, 2008
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Playing its third match in four days, Lehigh fell to Patriot League rival Army 7-0 Sunday at the Lewis Tennis Center in the league opener for both teams. The three-time defending Patriot League champion Black Knights proved too strong for the Brown and White, sweeping all three doubles matches and winning all six singles matches in straight sets.
Army improves to 12-4 overall and 1-0 in the league with the win. The Black Knights dropped a total of four games en route to winning the doubles point, and continued its dominance in singles play.
The closest singles match was at sixth singles, where Lehigh sophomore Stacey Reich took nine games from Diana Alquero, losing 6-4, 7-5. Classmate Julie Arthofer also was competitive in defeat, falling 6-4, 6-3 to Sarah Giles-Madden at No. 3 singles. Lehigh falls to 5-7, 0-1 in the Patriot League with the loss.
The Mountain Hawks will be off next weekend and will return to action on Friday, March 28 when they face Towson in a match that was rescheduled from February 22. First serve is set for 3 p.m. from the Lewis Tennis Center.
Army 7 Lehigh 0
Doubles
1. Flach/Houghton (A) def. Schwartz/Furman (L) 8-2
2. Ford/Beehler (A) def. Reich/Arthofer (L) 8-2
3. Burke/Limisaco (A) def. Vityuk/Cohen (L) 8-0
Singles
1. Annie Houghton (A) def. Allie Schwartz (L) 6-3, 6-0
2. Niki Flach (A) def. Ariela Cohen (L) 6-0, 6-0
3. Sarah Giles-Madden (A) def. Julie Arthofer (L) 6-4, 6-3
4. Kristin Beehler (A) def. Ruthie Furman (L) 6-1, 6-1
5. Caitlin Finnegan (A) def. Victoria Vityuk (L) 6-0, 6-1
6. Diana Alquero (A) def. Stacey Reich (L) 6-4, 7-5