Faith Bliss return Aug. 30, 2008

Top league foes stop Central

PELLA—It was a rocky start to the Central College women’s tennis season Saturday, but a solid performance nonetheless, according to coach Bryan Mours.

Iowa Conference title contender Coe College blanked the Dutch 9-0 while a markedly improved Cornell College squad hung on for a 5-4 decision.

The Dutch took a 2-1 advantage over Cornell after doubles’ play.  Hilary Baehr (senior, Des Moines, Roosevelt HS) and Stephanie Gibbons (sophomore, Ankeny) were 8-3 winners at No. 2 doubles while Emily Swartz (freshman, Eldora, South Hardin HS) and Brigitte Newman (sophomore, Albia) also won 8-3 at No. 3.

But in singles Central’s lone wins were from Faith Bliss (junior, Ottumwa) at No. 2 and Gibbons at No. 5 as the Dutch dropped four tight matches.

“I thought we played really well,” Mours said. “We knew coming in that these would be very tough matches.

“It’s too bad the way we battled in the heat that we didn’t get a win but in the grand scheme of things for the season, we’re still OK.”

Mours liked the effort he saw from Baehr at No. 1 singles in taking on two of the league’s top players, Coe’s Molly Fiala and Cornell’s Pavla Brachova.

“I thought those were the two best singles matches I’ve ever seen her play,” Mours said. “Also, I thought Kayla Donner (freshman, Metamora, Ill.), in her first college matches, played extremely well. She played some great doubles (at No. 1) and showed some heart in singles (at No. 3) against some good players.”

Central journeys to Waverly next Saturday, meeting Iowa Conference rival Wartburg College at 9 a.m. and the College of St. Benedict (Minn.) at noon. The Dutch topped Wartburg twice in tight matches last year, winning 6-3 at Pella and 5-4 in the conference tournament third-place match at Iowa City.