STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons tennis team hosted the Penn State Altoona Lions in their final match of the season Wednesday afternoon, losing 9-0.  The Barons finished the season 6-8, with wins in five of their last six matches, and finished with a .500 mark of 5-5 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

“Altoona is an extremely tough and very talented team,” Barons head coach Curtis Allen remarked.  “They were stiff competition, but we played them well, and we've really improved since the last time we faced them.”

It was a tough match for the Barons against the number two team in the AMCC.  The Lions have only lost to conference leader Penn State Behrend, and by a close score of 5-4. 

The doubles matches were difficult for the Barons, as Chris Cooper and Matt Alexander lost 8-2, Andrew Straub and Brad Mathisen lost 8-3, and Clark Thompson and Adam Vanlieshout lost 8-1.

In the singles matches, Cooper had the best match in a 6-7, 7-5, 2-6 loss.  Alexander put out yet another solid effort in a 6-4, 6-0 loss, while Straub lost 6-2, 6-1; Mathisen lost 6-0, 6-0; Thompson lost 6-0, 6-0; and Vanlieshout fell 6-0, 6-3.

“This has been a great season for us,” Allen commented.  “I could not be prouder of the guys – every single player has improved significantly.”

“I think we've done amazingly well,” Cooper said of the team's first season.  “We won six games this season, and that is an amazing start for this sport.  I think that our success this year will spark more interest in the program.  It is my hope that we will expand and be able to train good players to become even better.  It's just been an incredible season, and the future is bright for this team.”