PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's tennis team picked up its first victory of the 2022 season on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions defeated Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent La Roche University 7-2 at the Alpha Tennis Center.

Penn State Altoona (1-4, 1-2 AMCC) posted a pair of wins in doubles play to start the match. In the No. 1 doubles slot, Mikhaela Merca (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin)/Rachel Stricek (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) recorded their second doubles win of the season together with an 8-0 blanking of their opponents, and the duo of Isabella Rhoades (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone)/Stephanie Swain (Yadkin County, NC/Forbush) posted an 8-2 victory in the No. 2 doubles match for their second doubles win together.

Penn State Altoona proceeded to handily defeat La Roche in the five singles matches played. Merca, Stricek, Swain, and Lydia Irvin (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) each whitewashed her opponent by scores of 6-0, 6-0 in No. 1 through No. 4, respectively. Rhoades earned a 6-3, 6-1 triumph in the No. 5 singles match.

For Stricek, Irvin, and Rhoades, their wins were their collegiate victories in singles play. Merca's win was her second of the season, while Swain's was her first.

Penn State Altoona forfeited the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches to account for La Roche's only points of the day.

For its next match, Penn State Altoona was originally scheduled to take on non-conference opponent Saint Vincent College on the road tomorrow, Sunday, September 25. However, the match has been postponed due to the expectation of inclement weather. A makeup date for that contest has not yet been discussed.

With the postponement, the Lions' next match is on the road against AMCC opponent Pitt-Bradford on Friday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.