CRETE, Neb. – It was fitting that Dr. Rick Harley coached his final tennis match at Nebraska Wesleyan University versus old conference rival Doane on Tuesday afternoon (April 24) in Crete.  The Tigers defeated the Prairie Wolves 5-2 in a match that wasn't finished due to rain.
 
Coach Harley is retiring at the end of the season after coaching tennis at NWU since 2004.  This was the first time that a Harley coached women's tennis team had ever lost to Doane.
 
NWU was able to win one doubles match as Jordyn Fossel and Makinzie Vandewege defeated Haley Yohe and Erin Nielsen 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.  Doane won the No. 1 match, 8-3, then edged the NWU duo of Torey Kogel and Madi Hinshaw 9-8 (7-2) at No. 2 doubles.
 
Vandewege was the lone Prairie Wolves player to win a singles match as she earned the 8-1 win over Nielsen at No. 6 singles.  The No. 4 and No. 5 matches were not finished.
 
Doane's Ashley Zaeske won over Bridget McKeegan, 9-7, at No. 1 singles and Elia Healy dropped at 8-6 match at No. 2 singles.  Playing against her former school, Torey Kogel fell 8-5 to Elie Bender at No. 3 singles.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan was playing their first match in nearly a month as they last took the court on March 28.
 
The Prairie Wolves ended the year with a 3-19 overall record.
 
A celebration to honor Coach Rick Harley is scheduled for May 2 on the NWU campus.  All former players, families and friends of Coach Harley are invited to a reception that will be held from 4:00-5:30 pm in the All-American room upstairs in the Weary Center.