ALTOONA, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles tennis team finished up a busy seven-day stretch of matches to open up the 2025-26 season on Friday, falling by a 6-1 score to Penn State Altoona at Adler Tennis Courts.
 
The doubles duo of Polia Vladeva and Davan Lion earned an impressive tiebreaker victory in the No. 1 doubles match, beating the Nittany Lions' pairing of Rachel Stricek and Caitlin Blessel. The two teams were tied at 6-6, but the Golden Eagles' top doubles team outlasted their opponents by a 7-2 score to take the No. 1 doubles win. The Nittany Lions took the doubles point thanks to a close win in the No. 2 doubles match, with Abigail Morgan and Sienna Fell beating Taelyn Thomas and Emily McMahan by a 7-5 score.
 
Lion picked up a win at No. 1 singles to improve to 2-1 on the year, beating Stricek in straight sets. She cruised to a 6-2 decision in the first set and then overcame Stricek in a tight 6-4 second set for the win.
 
The Nittany Lions clinched the win with two singles wins to start the session, with Morgan beating Abby Rodgers in the No. 5 singles match and Blessel topping Vladeva in the No. 2 singles match. Fell won the third singles match of the day with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the No. 4 singles match. McMahan very nearly came from behind to earn a victory in the No. 3 singles match, taking a 6-4 second set from Lexi Colaianni, but her opponent won the third set breaker 10-2 for the win.
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