For one Penn State women's tennis player it was a first step; for another it was a chance to start over.

Freshman Sasha Abraham recorded the first win of her collegiate career at the Furman Classic this weekend.

Junior Jessica McKeown recorded a victory at the Cissie Leary Invitational in her first match for the Lions after missing an entire year.

After losing her first-round match to Amanda Fish, from Vanderbilt, Abraham bounced back and defeated Bonnie Baird of Furman University in three sets.

"She brings a new element -- she's crafty," teammate Megan Marton said. "Most Americans are not good with their hands."

McKeown, who has been battling her own injuries since freshman year, was also one of the few bright spots during a disappointing weekend for the Lions.

McKeown defeated Harvard's Jaclyn Pitushka at the Cissie Leary Invite in the first round (7-5, 6-0) before losing to Pennsylvania's Nikky Ptak.

"She [Pitushka] is from my hometown and I've played her many times but never lost before," McKeown said. "The nerves kicked when I got down in the first set but eventually I was able to relax.

Despite the individual achievements, the Lions struggled to get wins at both of their tournaments this weekend.

"We have to keep redefining what the word compete means," Penn State women's tennis coach Buffy Baker said.

Despite the disappointment, Baker said she saw signs of improvement.

Junior Maaria Husain had the best weekend and came in fourth place in the second flight at the Furman Classic.

Senior Leigh Ann Merryman's effectiveness was greatly limited.

She was battling a stomach virus caused by food poisoning.