It was a rough day for the Shepherd University Women’s Tennis team this past Wednesday. After starting the season so brightly, the campaign has definitely taken a turn for the worse for the Rams. If Shepherd wants their first season in the Mountain East Conference to end brightly, they need to rebound as soon as they possibly can.
Despite the rough turn to the season, junior Katelyn Mumaw continues to play some spectacular tennis. Mumaw defeated her Mount Saint Mary’s opponent Samantha Pinchoff 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 in Emmitsburg, Md. this past Wednesday. One would have thought that the way she was able to grind out a win would have inspired her teammates to victory. Instead, Mount Saint Mary’s posted straight wins to take the match 6-1, all of which were lost in forgettable fashion. Mumaw would also lose her doubles match with her teammate Jana Jones by a score of 8-5. No other matches were competitive whatsoever.
At this point in the season, the Rams really need to regroup and try to string together some wins. In their first season in the new Mountain East Conference, their conference record sits at 1-3. With upcoming opponents such as Fairmont State at home and away trips to Charleston and West Virginia State to begin the month of October, they really need to put together some solid matches so they can have a chance at the MEC title.
The Rams will end the regular season in the friendly confines of Shepherdstown. Their last two opponents are Gettysburg and Alderson-Broaddus. Although they currently sit at a disappointing 3-6, if they can rally down the stretch, the Lady Rams could easily make it a season to remember. Success is often born from failure. The rough patch in the middle of the season could be nothing but a blessing in disguise for the Rams.
Fairmont, Charleston and West Virginia State are all beatable opponents for Shepherd. The Rams need to use the fact that their match with Fairmont is at home to their advantage. Should they beat the Fighting Falcons, they would be just one win away from .500 in the conference. At this point for Shepherd, it’s not really about their overall record, more so the conference record. Winning the first ever Mountain East title would be a pretty awesome achievement for the Rams. It is not an unrealistic goal. If they hope to do so, they need to follow Katelyn Mumaw’s lead and grind out some difficult wins. No one said it was going to be easy.