HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Clarion tennis team won its first dual match of the season on Wednesday morning, defeating PSAC West rival Edinboro 4-3 at the Spring Tennis Fest in Hilton Head Island, S.C.  The victory is the first for first-year head coach Cynthia Copenhaver, who took over the Golden Eagle program during the fall season.
 
Playing early in the morning, the Golden Eagles split the singles session with the Fighting Scots but took the win by virtue of winning the doubles point.  Michelle Petrilla and Katie Benson notched a win in the No. 2 doubles match to lock up the point, beating Laura Lopez and Hannah Brentar in a tighly-contested bout.  They held on for the 6-4 win, clinching the extra point for the Golden Eagles.
 
That extra point became crucial as the two teams split the singles session, with the Fighting Scots taking the top three matches and the Golden Eagles taking the fourth through sixth singles.  Benson was the first to score a win, defeating Paige Morris 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 4 singles match.  Hailey Germanoski also won in straight sets, defeating Brentar in a close 6-4, 6-4 match to clinch the victory. 
 
Clarion will close its weekend at the Spring Tennis Fest tomorrow when they face West Liberty.