Box Score

Oberlin, Ohio – In a match that lasted nearly six hours and pitted two of the region's top 10 teams, it was the visiting Denison University Big Red who outlasted the Oberlin College Yeowomen, 6-3, on Friday evening at the John W. Heisman Field House.
 
The Big Red, who entered the match at No. 9 in the region, ended Oberlin's nine-match winning streak. For the Yeowomen, who rank No. 30 in the country and sixth in the region, it was their first loss since March 9 when they fell to the University of Chicago, 6-3. At the time the Maroons were No. 5 in the country and the top-ranked team in the region.
 
“This one hurts a lot, but you have to give Denison a ton of credit as they deserved to win tonight,” Head Coach Constantine Ananiadis said. “We left it all out on the court tonight, but it just didn't go our way. We are looking forward to seeing them again in the conference tournament.”
 
In the top singles flight, the region's No. 9 and No. 10 players squared off. Oberlin's Farah Leclercq, who ranks one spot ahead of Kelsey Geppner, bested her Denison counterpart in straight sets – earning a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
 
Oberlin's other singles win came at No. 4 where senior Preeya Shah topped Emma Forman by identical 6-4 counts.
 
At No. 2 singles it was Brenna Sheldon - the region's 17^th ranked player – matched up against Alex Marcell who is ranked one spot back of Sheldon at No. 18. It was Marcell who edged the Oberlin junior in a third-set tie-break. Marcell won the first 6-3, but Sheldon took the second 6-4. In the third and final set it was Marcell who recorded the 7-6 (7-1) win.
 
The No. 3 singles match proved to be the most exciting of the night as Grace Porter and Meg Chiumento would not give an inch for hours on end. Porter earned a 6-4 win in the first, but Chiumento forced a tie-break in both the second and third to eventually sit down Porter. The Denison No. 3 won the second 7-6 (7-5) and then took the third 7-6 (7-1).
 
At No. 6 rookie Ariana Abayomi was 6-2 winner in the first, but dropped the second and third sets to Heather Abzug by same 6-2 score line.
 
With the match already decided and the night wearing long, Erin Johnson and Katy Barenholtz played a third-set tie-break with the set tied 2-2 at the time. Barenholtz went on to win the tie-break 7-1 after taking the first set 6-4. Johnson did earn a tie-break victory of her in the second, 7-6 (7-3).
 
In the top doubles flight, Leclercq and Porter – ranked No. 4 in the region – saw their eight-match winning streak come to end as the No. 10 ranked pairing of Geppner and Marcell outlasted the Oberlin duo 9-8 (8-6).
 
Shah and Sheldon were 8-2 winners over Forman and Chiumento at No. 2, but Johnson and Abayomi fell to Taylor Hawkins and Audrey Fitzpatrick 8-3 at No. 3.
 
Oberlin has a short turnaround as Ohio Wesleyan University comes to town tomorrow for a 1 p.m. match inside the John W. Heisman Field House.