Bah earns first career singles win

RINDGE, N.H. (September 29, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team won two well-played matches, but fell, 7-2, to Saint Michael's in Northeast-10 Conference play on Sunday at Franklin Pierce.

Senior captain Natasha McCarthy (Rindge, N.H.) was escorted off the court early in the match due to an injury. As a result, the Saint Michael's pair of sophomores Erica Bundrick and Alexandra Sulkin won at first doubles by default, after leading, 2-0.

It took 90 minutes for sophomore Kirby Melbourne (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and junior Leslie Rodgers, (Westminster, Md.) to defeat Saint Michael's sophomore Elizabeth Edwards and senior Samantha Purnell, 9-7, in one of the most intense doubles matches of the season. Melbourne and Rodgers' game was fueled by a diverse group of shots which brought them to the net, forcing their opponents to make errors. The pair credited their win to their consistency, which allowed them to win many points on long rallies and cross-court returns.

Playing in her second match this season, Raven sophomore Isatu Bah (Bedford, N.H.) used her powerful serve to defeat Edwards, 2-6, 6-2, 10-4. Bah lost the first set, but managed to compose herself to win the second set as well as the tiebreaker. "I knew that I would win when I noticed that my opponent was getting nervous," said Bah after the match.

Melbourne lost her momentum from doubles and dropped both sets, 6-0, 6-1, in singles play to a very consistent and defensive-playing freshman, Nicole Kellogg.

Melbourne's doubles partner, Rodgers, also lost in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, to freshman Colleen O'Keefe. Rodgers was frequently caught flat-footed and gave up several points while trying to hit on the run. Noticing this issue, O'Keefe hit several cross-court shots throughout the match, forcing an uncomfortable Rodgers to rack up error after error.

The strong backhand and accurately placed cross-court shots of junior Emily Parrett (Amherst, N.H.) were not enough to defeat the more-consistent Bundrick. The determined Parrett plans to find her serve and work on her forehand in time for her upcoming matches. Her teammates, sophomore Nicole Gilooly (East Sandwich, Mass.) and junior Christine Boulanger (East Hampton, Conn.) also lost their matches in straight sets to their Saint Michael's opponents, Sulkin and Purnell, respectively.

The Ravens return to the court on Thursday, Oct. 3, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference match at 4 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce tennis apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).