MENOMONIE, Wis. — The UW-Stout women's tennis team nearly pulled off one of its biggest wins of the season Monday, falling 4-3 to UW-Oshkosh in a tightly contested Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) matchup.
After being swept 7-0 by Oshkosh in each of the previous two seasons, the Blue Devils showed just how far the program has come, pushing the Titans to the final match of the day before the visitors secured the deciding point.
Stout got off to a strong start in doubles play, with Molly Garber and Joelle Smith dominating at No. 2 doubles with a 6-0 victory over Kayla Gibbs and Sarah Schaeffer. Oshkosh answered at No. 1 doubles, but Lindsay Leuzinger and Braenna Stampf kept the Blue Devils within striking distance at No. 3, falling 6-4. The Titans took the doubles point with a 6-1 win at No. 1.
Oshkosh extended its lead with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, but Stout responded with three consecutive victories to even the match at 3-3.
Prajna Hosamane continued her strong play down the stretch, cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 3 singles over Kayla Gibbs. Joelle Smith followed at No. 4, battling past Sarah Schaeffer 6-2, 6-3.
Leuzinger then delivered one of the biggest moments of the afternoon at No. 5 singles. The junior earned her first career WIAC singles victory, defeating Sophie Gish 6-4, 6-4. Leuzinger closed out both sets while leading 5-4, coming through with clutch tennis when the Blue Devils needed it most. Her victory provided the equalizing point and brought Stout within one match of a team victory at 3-3.
With the match coming down to No. 6 singles, Oshkosh's Taylor Longdin edged Stout freshman Braenna Stampf 6-4, 7-5 to secure the 4-3 win for the Titans.
Despite the loss, the result represented a significant step forward for a Stout program that has continued to close the gap against conference opponents. The Blue Devils went from consecutive 0-7 defeats against Oshkosh to taking the Titans to the final match, showcasing the progress, competitiveness and belief that continues to develop within the program.
Hosamane and Smith have been particularly strong down the stretch, continuing to provide consistent points in the middle of the lineup. Leuzinger's first WIAC singles victory added another important milestone as Stout continues to build toward the future.
