Jennifer Goldberg, Muhlenberg

Photo Gallery

The Muhlenberg women's tennis team opened up its spring season with an impressive 6-3 indoor home win against Elizabethtown.

The teams played tight 5-4 matches each of the last two seasons, and last year the Mules had to come back from a 2-1 deficit after doubles and sweat out four singles matches that went to third sets.

This time around, Muhlenberg won two of the three doubles matches and the first three singles matches off the court to secure a more comfortable win.

Sophomore Sara Finger and senior Jennifer Goldberg won easily at first doubles, 8-2, but the other two doubles matches were closer.

At No. 3, freshman Molly Kowalski and senior Ashlee Ludwig, playing together for the first time, eked out a 9-8 win to put Muhlenberg up 2-1 heading into singles. Kowalski and Ludwig (pictured above) led 7-4 and had a match point, but the Blue Jays came back to knot the match at 7-7.

The Mule duo broke serve and had a chance to serve for the win, but Elizabethtown broke right back to send the match into a tiebreaker, which the Mules won 7-5. Kowalski ended the match with a lob over the head of a Blue Jay player.

Finger, ranked 21st in the Atlantic South Region, completed her 2-0 day with a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles, and Goldberg (pictured at right) played a strong match in a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 2.

Senior Sharen Resnikoff pulled out a three-set win at No. 3 singles, scoring the last five points after falling behind 7-5 in the supertiebreaker.

Freshman Hannah Molk (No. 5) also won in straight sets.

The win gave Muhlenberg some valuable court experience heading into Saturday's Centennial Conference opener at Franklin & Marshall, ranked 10th in the region. The Mules are 20th, and Elizabethtown, though unranked, beat 17th-ranked Roanoke two weeks ago.

Box Score
doubles
Sara Finger and Jennifer Goldberg (M) def. Christine Evangelista and Kaitlyn Pellegrino, 8-2
Lauren Berry and Taylor Helsel (E) def. Sharen Resnikoff and Jamie Rosenblum, 8-6
Molly Kowalski and Ashlee Ludwig (M) def. Madison McCall and Sam Procak, 9-8 (7-5)

singles
Finger (M) def. Evangelista, 6-0, 6-3
Goldberg (M) def. Pellegrino, 6-2, 6-2
Resnikoff (M) def. Berry, 6-3, 1-6, 10-7
McCall (E) def. Rosenblum, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9
Hannah Molk (M) def. Sarah Calabro, 6-3, 6-2
Helsel (E) def. Kowalski, 6-3, 6-3