Evan Weber
Sports Editor

The Franciscan women’s tennis team defeated Geneva College 6-1 Monday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. at the Belleview Courts. While the score looked like a Baron landslide, every match was well-fought and went down to the wire. With this win, Franciscan clinched a spot in the 2024 PAC Championship Tournament for the 13th straight year. 

Doubles play started with senior Olivia Colby and sophomore Jordan Beltavski stuck in a difficult spot. Trailing 5-2, the #2 team went on a tear and scored five points in a row to give Franciscan the lead for the doubles point.  

Freshman Lucy Rochat and junior Veronica Saunders fought a tough match of their own, but managed to pull ahead with a 6-4 win. Juniors Claire Cardie and Kina Ehlers were unable to hold onto their lead and lost their match 6-4, but the Barons secured the doubles point. 

While Franciscan held the advantage, they continued to push the gas coming into singles play. Beltavski and Ehlers glided to easy wins in straight sets. Sophomore Hazel Mistry rallied late in her second set but was unable to secure the win. Junior Lauren Schoenberger dominated her opponent to grab the fourth point and secure victory for the Barons. 

But the singles matches weren’t done yet. Cardie won both of her sets to make the score 5-1 and all eyes turned to the #5 spot. Junior Margaret Vernau was engaged in a constant back-and-forth battle; she eventually persevered and came back from behind to earn Franciscan’s 6th and final point. 

While the Barons have secured a playoff spot, they hope to continue to improve their record for a chance at playing at home. Their next home game will be against Grove City on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Come out and support your Barons in their last game of the regular season!