The Lakeland women’s tennis team lost two Northern Athletics Conference matches Sept. 11 in Chicago.
The Muskies fared best in their afternoon match, getting a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles from junior Nicole Shavlik and a 8-2 victory from the No. 1 doubles team of Shavlik and sophomore April Schmitz.
“Nicole was a counter-puncher last year, and we’ve made a big effort to get her hitting with more topspin and to add pace to the ball,” women’s tennis coach Leigh Cherveny said.
Schmitz nearly picked up a victory at No. 2 singles after winning the first set 6-4, but Dominican freshman Rachel Taddy edged her in the final two sets 6-4, 6-3.
“April is a much stronger, more confident player than last year. She’s always had good strokes, but consistency was a concern. She’s made the biggest strides of anyone as far as that’s concerned,” Cherveny said.
In the first match against Concordia Chicago, the Cougars swept the Muskies 9-0 in a match moved indoors to the Oak Park Tennis and Fitness Center due to rain.
The Shavlik and Schmitz tandem came closest to scoring for Lakeland when they lost 8-5 against Concordia Chicago’s No. 1 pairs team.
“April and Nicole were up 4-1, but they let it slip away, or the [Concordia] pair started playing better,” Cherveny said.
“Concordia Chicago obviously put a lot of emphasis on recruiting since last year,” Cherveny continued. “The Concordia Chicago girl who Nicole beat last year at No. 1 was playing No. 4 [this year].”
No Lakeland players other than veterans Shavlik and Schmitz seemed to test their opponents.
“We have eight people out for the second year in a row. No. 3 [freshman] player Jenna Oberthaler has three or four years of high school experience and has nice potential for her future. The rest of our roster is at a beginner level,” “Cherveny said.
He said this year’s players new to tennis are more athletic than last year’s and have worked hard to improve. “Players hit on their own after practice, and they’re great to have around. They’re great representatives for the college,” Cherveny said.
Lakeland hosted Edgewood on Tuesday and will host Marian on Friday at Howards Grove High School at 4 p.m.