Utica, NY – The Utica College women's tennis team lost to visiting Hartwick College 8-1 in Empire 8 Conference action on Friday afternoon.  The contest, which was apart of the College's homecoming festivities, began on the outside courts but was eventually moved into the Todd & Jen Hutton Sports & Recreation Center due to rain. 

Utica's Lulu Zhang (Wenzhou, China /Newcomers) won her fourth straight match at fifth singles to account for the lone point of the afternoon for the Pioneers. Utica's record moved to 3-4 overall on the season and the Pioneers are now 1-4 in Empire 8 play this season. Zhang is now 5-2 overall on the season at fifth singles.

Julianne Pieros (Alpha, NJ/Phillipsburg) lost 6-1, 6-1 in first singles to Heidi Rice, while Sara Gribanoff (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) lost a heartbreaker in second singles to Hartwick's Rose Natoli (7-5, 3-6, 10-6).

The Pioneers return to the courts on Saturday when they travel to Hoboken, NJ to take on the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks at 1 p.m.