Princeton women’s tennis falls to Texas-Austin and Alabama in Blue Gray National Tennis Classic

Princeton women’s tennis suffered tough losses to No. 28 Alabama and No. 58 Texas in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, A.L. this weekend.

After leading early in doubles matches against Alabama, Princeton lost the opening point against Alabama due to a late effort from the Crimson Tide. Freshman Amber Park and junior Dorothy Tang lost to the Alabama pair 6-3 while Princeton’s number one pair of freshman Nicole Kalhorn and senior Amanda Muliawan also lost 6-3 in a tight match against the tournament’s 20th-ranked pair Andie Daniell and Erin Routliffe.

With a 0-1 disadvantage going into the singles, the Princeton Tigers fought hard in the next three singles matches before falling to the Crimson Tide. Sophomore Katrine Steffensen was ousted by Alabama’s Routliffe in a tight 6-4, 7-5 affair while senior Emily Hahn fought fiercely to reach a first set tiebreak before also falling in straight sets 7-6, 6-1. Alabama’s Aryn Greene wrapped up the clash in three sets (2-6, 6-4, 6-3) after a brave effort from Princeton’s Dorothy Tang, handing the Crimson Tide an unassailable 4-0 win.

Following a tough loss at the hands of Alabama on Friday, the Tigers set out to redeem themselves on Saturday against No. 58 University of Texas at Austin. However, the Tigers started off poorly with a doubles loss. The opening pair of Muliawan and Kalhorn fell to the Texan pair of All-American player Breaunna Addison and her partner Dani Wagland 6-2. Princeton’s Park and Tang put up a gritty fight in the second doubles clash, matching Texas pair Lana Groenvynck and Katie Poluta game for game before losing in a tight tiebreaker, with final score 7-6.

Princeton recovered in the singles with two successive wins at fourth and fifth. Junior Sivan Krems played with both power and poise as she scored Princeton’s first points of the day with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory, while Dorothy Tang also cruised to an impressive straight sets win with final score of 6-1, 6-2. Unfortunately, the momentum stopped there for the Tigers, as the Bevos scored critical wins at the second, third and fifth singles positions to give Texas a 4-2 victory. Princeton’s Steffensen put up a strong effort in the first set to reach a tiebreaker, before losing 6-1 in the second, with a final score of 7-6, 6-1, as Senior Emily Hahn fell in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 in a tough encounter. The Bevos closed out the match with Kalhorn falling short in a tight, bravely fought match against Texas’s Dani Wagland, with a final score of 6-4, 7-5.

Princeton comes away from the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic this weekend with a 5-6 season record and will return home to play Georgia State next Saturday.