SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – The Shippensburg University women's tennis team collected three wins in a close battle against Shepherd but lost to the Rams 4-3 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup at Shepherd Tennis Complex.
 
Shippensburg (2-10, 1-3 PSAC East) earned two points in singles play from senior Jenna Sluymer and sophomore Merel Hoekstra. The Raiders collected the doubles points after No. 3 doubles was a default win and Sluymer and Hoekstra won at No. 1 doubles.
 
At No.1 doubles, Sluymer and Hoekstra battled their way back into the match after being 5-3 down in the set and saved five match points in the tiebreak. The pair won with a finishing volley by Hoekstra for an 11-9 win in the tiebreaker and a 7-6 victory. The freshmen pair of Kendall Winters and Brooklynn Rupert dropped their match at No. 2 doubles, 6-4.
 
At No. 1 singles, Sluymer took care of business and stayed aggressive the whole match for a 6-3, 6-1 win. At No. 5 singles, Hoekstra won the first set 6-2, but her opponent started to battle her way back into the second set. Hoekstra edged away with a 7-5 win.
 
Shepherd (6-6, 2-1) won No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 singles to even the match at 3-3. It came down to No. 3 singles. Winters dropped the first set 6-4 but rallied her way back into the second set to win 7-6 in the tiebreak. In the third set, the match went back and forth, but her opponent edged out a 6-4 third-set win.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at 11 a.m. Saturday against Lock Haven for Senior Day at the Robb Sports Complex Tennis Courts. Before the match, the team will recognize its three seniors: Cally Papoutsis. Sluymer and Kayla Tryanski.