On the opening weekend of Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) women’s tennis action, the Dominican University Stars went 1-1, edging the MSOE Raiders 5-4 in the morning before falling to the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons in the afternoon 6-3.

Dominican trailed the Raiders 2-1 after doubles play, claiming the number two doubles flight as Rachel Taddy (Cary, Ill.) and Jillian Metcalf (Oak Lawn, Ill.) dumped the team of Samantha Pekarscik and Julie Berg 8-3.
After Carol Cayo topped the Stars’ Elizabeth Nelson (Riverside, Ill.) at number one singles, 6-2, 6-1, the Stars needed to claim four of the remaining five points to capture the victory.  Taddy, Emily Hereford (St. Louis, Mo.), Rosemary Orchanian (Portage, Mich.) and Marbeya Berner (New Lenox, Ill.) took number two, three, five and six singles to take the match. 

The Stars tried to carry the momentum into their afternoon match which was moved indoors due to heavy rain, but fell short against the Concordia Wisconsin Falcons who have won at least a share of four of the last five NAC regular season titles.  The Stars again fell behind 2-1 after doubles, with Dominican’s number three doubles team of Orchanian and Jennifer LoRusso (Burbank, Ill.) topping their Falcon foes 8-3.  This time the Stars could not muster enough momentum in singles play to steal the victory, with just Taddy and Berner posting wins at two and six singles.

The Stars now stand at 2-1 on the season and 1-1 in NAC play.  Dominican returns to the courts on Monday as they travel to Madison, Wis., to take on the Edgewood College Eagles in NAC action and then the Lawrence University Vikings in a non-conference tilt.