Women's Tennis Report (Week 5) - Franklin Notches Fifth Straight Win

HCAC Individual Records (click here)

GREENWOOD, IN - Franklin College posted its fifth straight win and moved to 4-0 in league play.  The Grizzlies (5-1, 4-0 HCAC) defeated Bluffton 9-0 to stay atop the HCAC standings heading into the final week of action.

Junior Heather Pasek (Villa Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) defeated Bluffton's Caitlin Nearhood (Clyde, Ohio/H.S.) 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles and teamed with Bethany Harris (Avon, Ind./H.S.) to win over Nearhood and Ashley Jones (Fayette, Ohio/Evergreen) 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles. 

Pasek moved to 7-1 overall in league play.

Franklin has a busy week as the league schedule winds down.  The blue and gold will tangle with Hanover, Anderson, Rose-Hulman, and Manchester this week.

Rose-Hulman (7-2, 5-1 HCAC) remained in striking distance of the league lead with a 6-3 win over Hanover Saturday.  The Engineers finish the conference schedule this week against Earlham, Manchester, and the first place Grizzlies.

Transylvania (5-1, 4-1 HCAC) notched a 9-0 sweep of Defiance over the weekend.  The Pioneers will look to keep pace with Rose and catch Franklin this week as they face Mount St. Joseph and Bluffton.

Transy's Kelsey Fulkerson (Lexington, Ky./Dunbar) represented the HCAC at the ITA Central Region Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan over the weekend.  The senior was a No. 9 seed in the 64 player event. 

Fulkerson defeated Laura Steele from Allegheny 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the round of 32 and then defeated Brittany Miller from Ohio Northern 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the round of 16. 

She then lost to No. 7 seed Elizabeth Worsowicz from Wheaton 6-4, 6-1 and was the first HCAC player to reach the round of 16 since Rose-Hulman's Sam Danesis accomplished the feat in 2009.

Hanover, Manchester, and Anderson each sit with two losses in the HCAC standings.  The trio has a busy week as the field tries to earn a spot in the six-team HCAC Tournament in Indianapolis on October 15-16.

For a complete recap of Week 5 in HCAC Women's Tennis, click here