A victory by Jennifer Farrington at the No. 6 position clinched the victory for the women's tennis team, 5-4, at the Penn State Tennis Club on Saturday.

Penn State and Syracuse were knotted at 4-4 after eight matches, so the team title rested on the shoulders of Farrington and Syracuse's Jennifer Agate. Farrington responded by whipping Agate, 6-1, 6-0.

Although Farrington had never been in that position before she said she was "really psyched," to have the opportunity to clinch the team victory.

"Farrington was incredible," Coach Jan Bortner said. "She was really cranking it."

The feature match of the afternoon pitted two players ranked in the Top 10 in the East. Kelly Erven powered past Syracuse's Kathy Bradford in a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing. Although leading their head-to-head series 3-2, Erven looked forward to their match as "revenge," since Brandford defeated her last year at Syracuse.

"I didn't want to let her graduate, beating me," Erven said.

Bortner was surprised by the No. 1 singles match in its "decisiveness," but attributed it to Erven's brand of "power tennis."

Strong doubles matches vaulted Penn State to a 2-1 lead, and may have helped its singles matches get off to a fast start. Doubles play prepares the players "not only physically, but mentally as well," for singles, Erven said.

The duo of Erven and Claudia Karabedian crushed last year's Big East championship winning team of Christine Chiminello and Sherry Liberatore, 6-0, 6-2. Syracuse's No. 2 team, Bradford and Carrie Bentzel, disposed of Lisa Thomas and Kerri Kohr, 6-2, 7-6. The Lady Lions' No. 3 team of Cathy Kissell and Jennifer Farrington dropped Corinna Bode and Agate, 6-2, 6-4.

Coach Jan Bortner said his team does "work hard on doubles."

With Erven beating Bradford in the No. 1 slot, Claudia Karabedian's demolition of Chiminello put Penn State up 4-1, in team play.

Syracuse then made a stand at the No. 3-5 singles, which didn't surprise Syracuse coach Jesse Dwyer. "I thought we would win 3-4," he said.

Bentzel just barely got by Kohr at the No. 5 position, in what was easily the afternoon's most exciting and entertaining match. Down but not out after losing the first set 6-2, Kohr rebounded to win the second set, 7-5. Bentzel regrouped and captured the last set, 6-4, but not before many hustling volleys and incredible passing shots by both players.

Bortner was also impressed with his team's ability to win after a tough road victory at Atlantic 10 foe Temple last Thursday, 6-2. It was such a long, grueling match that the last doubles match had to be called because of darkness.

Syracuse coach Jesse Dwyer complemented Penn State and, referring to Bortner's upperclassmen, said "you can't beat experience."

The Lady Lions upped their spring record to 7-0 and its combined fall/spring record to 12-2. They return to action next weekend against James Madison and William and Mary, the top-ranked team in the East, at James Madison.