LANCASTER, Pa. - The Millersville women's tennis team opened its 2020 spring season Friday afternoon, but failed to hold off Wilmington University. 
 
The Marauders are entering the spring season with expectations after earning a No. 8 Atlantic Region ranking in January's Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. Millersville's 6-1 team start was the best under head coach Matt Helsel. 
 
Visiting Wilmington (4-8), after an up-and-down fall campaign, dominated in important matchups to defeat Millersville (6-2), 5-2. 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• The Marauders lost in the top four flights in singles and top two flights in doubles. 
• Esperanza Contador, who entered the spring season with a No. 10 ITA regional ranking, was trailing in the first set of her flight one singles matchup against Laura Gil before being retired. Contador teamed up with Julie Wallace in flight one doubles beforehand but lost, 1-6. 
• Victoria Hanus capped a successful afternoon with a victory in flight six singles action, 6-0, 6-0. The junior also captured a victory in flight three doubles with teammate Kelsey Heckert, 6-3. 
• Jasmine Morris was the other Marauder to secure a point for the team. The sophomore defeated Wilmington's Sabrina Blasi-Smith, 6-3, 6-3 in flight five singles. 

NOTES
• Morris continues to build off of her freshman campaign. Last season, playing primarily in flight one and two singles, she finished with six wins. As a sophomore, Morris has eight wins in 12 tries, playing in flight three, four and five singles. 
• The flight three duo of Heckert and Hanus got back on track after an inconsistent end to the fall season. Teaming up in flight three doubles, Heckert and Hanus won their first five matches of the season before dropping three close matches in a row. Friday's victory was their first victory since Sept. 17, 2019, not counting forfeits. 
• Hannah Bryan made her debut in flight two singles, a straight-set loss. Bryan has put together an impressive resume in her freshman campaign, winning eight of 12 matches while progressively facing tougher competition. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pa., Bryan opened the year playing two matches at flight five, one at flight four and four at flight three. Even in losing efforts, Bryan has proved tough to handle. Her first loss of the season came against talented Mercyhurst junior Athina Tsagkaraki, 5-7, 3-6. She also pushed IUP's Julia Newman, an All-PSAC first team selection in 2018-19, into three sets. 
• Millersville's 6-2 start as a team is the program's best since the 2004-05 season. The Marauders opened that year 8-2 and finished 12-4.

UP NEXT
The Marauders will make their 2020 debut at the McComsey Tennis Courts against Goldey-Beacom College. The match will begin at 1 p.m.