Lions Tennis Loses 8-1 in Regular Season Finale
ALTOONA, Pa. – In its last match of the 2021 regular season, the Penn State Altoona men's tennis team suffered an 8-1 loss to non-conference opponent Lancaster Bible College at the Adler Tennis Courts.
The match was the final tune-up for the Lions (2-3) ahead of this weekend's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament. It also marked the first time this spring that the team was able to play an outdoor match.
Lancaster Bible (6-1) jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead by sweeping the three doubles matches by scores of 8-6, 8-3, and 8-3. The Chargers proceeded to win the one, two, three, four, and six singles matches to depart campus with a seven-point victory in the overall match.
Jake Irwin (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) provided the lone point for Penn State Altoona, battling to a 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 win in the No. 5 singles match. The victory was Irwin's second of the season for the Lions.
Irwin's match was part of a tightly-contested round of singles matches, and it was one of three that went to a tiebreaker. Jimmy Gillespie (Glen Mills, PA/Garnet Valley) and Micah Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PA Cyber) both saw their matches advance to tiebreakers, with Gillespie falling 7-5, 2-6, 10-7 in the No. 1 spot and Brinker dropping the No. 3 match 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 10-7.
With the regular season now behind it, the Penn State Altoona men's tennis team will turn its focus to the AMCC Tournament. The Lions, who have the number four seed entering the tournament, will face off against number two seed Mount Aloysius College in a semifinal match this Saturday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. The winner will advance to the AMCC championship match on Sunday, April 18.
Both days of the AMCC Tournament will be hosted indoors at Westwood Racquet Club in Erie. Per AMCC COVID-19 protocols, fans will not be permitted to attend the weekend's matches.
