Cary Gibson Takes ITA Singles Championship
4-year All-American Cary Gibson '09
CAMBRIDGE, MA - To top off an incredible weekend for Williams women's tennis, Williams junior Cary Gibson took the ITA singles crown this morning. Head coach Allison Swain was very happy with her team's result. She said, "Placing three pairs in the semifinals speaks to the depth and competitive leadership at the top of the lineup."
After knocking out third seed Leslie Hansen of MIT, Gibson met teammate Grace Baljon in the finals. Baljon had just notched an impressive victory over top seed Alicia Menezes of Amherst in straight sets. In the all Williams final, Gibson topped sophomore Baljon by a score of 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Also competing for Williams in the quarterfinals was first-year Nikki Reich. Reich fell to Amherst's Monica Snyder, 6-2, 6-1.
Williams displayed incredible depth, placing all three doubles duos in the semifinals. Baljon and Gibson fell to top seeds Brittany Berckes and Menezes of Amherst, 8-6. In the other semifinal Williams duos Reich and Allie Rottkamp matched up against fellow Ephs Annie Schneidman and Lucy Marchese. Reich and Rottkamp won that contest to earn a berth in the finals, but ultimately dropped the championship match by a score of 8-6.
"The underclassmen have stepped it up and are playing great," said senior Annie Schneidman. "We're looking forward to carrying the momentum from this weekend into next." Next weekend Williams will travel to Tufts for NESCAC action.
