HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s and women’s tennis teams competed at the PTR Spring Tennis Fest on March 11, 2025, facing Penn State Behrend at the Chaplin Park Tennis Center. The men’s team secured a 4-3 victory over the Lions, while the women’s team fell just short, losing 3-4 in closely contested matches.
The women’s team saw mixed results in doubles play. Cleo Solomon (Waldorf, Md./North Point) and Amber Manspeaker (Finksburg, Md./Westminster) dropped a tight No. 1 doubles match, 6-4. Sarah Levit (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) and Giselle Harris (Easton, Md./Easton) fell 6-2 in the No. 2 spot, but Lauren Lovejoy (Newburg, Md./La Plata) and Stella Manns (White Hall, Md./North Harford) dominated the No. 3 match, winning 6-0.
In singles, Solomon led with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1, while Lovejoy won 7-4, 6-2 at No. 5, and Zoe Wilson (Clarksburg, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) took the No. 6 match, 6-3, 7-5. Losses by Manspeaker (6-1, 6-4), Levit (7-6, 6-4), and Harris (6-1, 6-2) at Nos. 2, 3, and 4 sealed the 3-4 defeat.
The men’s team fared better, clinching a 4-3 win. In doubles, Nick Rohr (Fairfax County, Va./James W. Robinson) and Jacob Nelson (Olney, Md./Sherwood) won 6-2 at No. 1, but Max Esztergomi (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) and Andrew Hand (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) lost 6-1 at No. 2, and Alex Lyman (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) and Hudson Christensen (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) fell 6-2 at No. 3.
Singles play turned the tide, with Rohr winning 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1, Esztergomi taking No. 2, 6-3, 6-1, and Lyman securing No. 5, 7-5, 7-5. Nelson battled through three sets at No. 3, losing the first 7-6 (7-2 tiebreak), but winning 6-2 and a 10-4 Super Tiebreak. Hand lost a three-setter at No. 4 (6-4, 7-6, 10-7), and Devon Gorel’s No. 6 match (7-5, 4-6) was halted due to lighting issues, but the Seahawks had already secured the win.
Both teams are part of St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s athletic program, a Division III school with a student body of about 1,600, known for its strong liberal arts focus and waterfront campus in St. Mary’s City. The PTR Spring Tennis Fest, hosted annually in Hilton Head, draws college teams for competitive play during spring break, offering a mix of skill levels and a chance to face non-conference opponents. The Chaplin Park Tennis Center, with its 12 courts, is a frequent venue for such events, per the Hilton Head Island website.
The women’s team will face Alfred University on March 13, while the men’s team takes on Alfred University on March 12, both at the same venue. St. Mary’s competes in the United East Conference, with both teams building momentum for their spring season, as noted on the college’s athletics website.
