Ephs earn at-large berth in NCAA Tournament; will host regional

May 4, 2008

Ephs win regional final, 5-0, and advance to Quarterfinals

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – As Williams advances deeper into the NCAA tournament, every round continues to get tougher than the previous match and the squad must up their mental and physical toughness. 

After sending St. Lawrence home in less than two hours yesterday, the Ephs faced off against a more competitive Wellesley squad in the regional final today. 

Having been battle tested yesterday against Tufts, Wellesley was coming off a great program win.  Williams displayed their hard work this season, and handled the challenge with ease in a 5-0 win to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. 

The Ephs played three solid doubles matches, but Wellesley seemed determined to not bow out so easily.  Williams was challenged early on in singles play.  At court one, Cary Gibson struggled to find her game and fell in the first, 1-6.  Both Ashley Parsons and Nikki Reich managed to take a first set of each of their matches, 6-4, but battled to do so.

At court two, Grace Baljon’s power hitting proved too tough for her opponent and she tallied the fourth point of the match for Williams with a 6-4, 6-2 result.  Reich had upped the int ensity of play at court four, and minutes after Baljon’s victory, s ealed the match for the Ephs with a 6-4, 6-1 finish. 

“Wellesley is a very good team, and they pushed us,” said Williams head coach Alison Swain.  “But we showed we’re ready.  We’re peaking at the right time, and playing very well.  We’re thrilled to be going to Minnesota!”

Williams will face the winner of Mary Washington and John Hopkins in a quarterfinal match on May 13. 

Williams 5, Wellesley 0

Doubles:

      1)    Cary Gibson/Annie Schneidman (Wi) def. Jenna Mezin/Hali Walther (We) --- 8-2

2)    Allie Rottkamp/Grace Baljon (Wi) def. Jen Schwarzkopf/Trish Devine (We) --- 8-4

3)    Annie Hancock/Nikki Reich (Wi) def. Shivani Saxena/Jacqueline Shen (We) --- 8-5

Singles:

      1)    Gibson (Wi) tied with Mezin (We) --- 1-6, 6-1 DNF

2)    Baljon (Wi) def. Schwarzkopf (We) --- 6-3, 6-2

3)    Ashley Parsons (Wi) led. Meghan Stubblebine (We) --- 6-4, 4-3

4)    Reich (Wi) def. Devine (We) --- 6-4, 6-1

5)    Rottkamp (Wi) vs. Saxena (We) --- DNP

6)    Hancock (Wi) vs. Shen (We) --- DNP

May 3, 2008

Wellesley edges Tufts, 5-4, in marathon match 

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – In the most competitive match of the Williamstown regional thus far, eighth-ranked Wellesley and thirteenth-ranked Tufts grinded it out in a four hour marathon match that saw the Blue Pride claw from behind to take the match, 5-4. 

“This was a mentally and emotio nally tough win given our history with Tufts,” commented Wellesley head coach Christine Franek.  “We just had the desire today more than ever before.”

The Blue Pride had defeated Tufts earlier in the season, 7-2, and the Jumbos seemed to surprise everyone when they took an early lead.  In doubles, Wellesley won with ease at court one while Tufts took the match at court three.  At court, the Tufts pair of Erica Miller and Meghan McCooey rose to the occasion and came out on top in a tight 9-7 result.

Play had only just begun as more drama was to unfold throughout the match.  In singles play, Tufts came out firing.  McCooey dominated in a 6-0, 6-1 showing at court two to up the Jumbos lead to 3-1.  At court four, Wellesley’s Trish Devine narrowed the gap by defeating her opponent, 6-0, 6-3.

At court one, Jenna Mezin and Julia Browne dueled in a battle of wills.  Browne took the first  set 6-3, while Wellesley’s Mezin appeared visibly frustrated with her play.  Early in the second set, it appeared as though Mezin had mentally composed herself and mounted a 4-1 lead.  Browne stormed from behind with a vengeance, rattling off five straight games to take the second set, 6-4, and the match to give Tufts a 4-2 lead. 

Only one loss away from seeing a spot in regional final slip away, the bottom of Wellesley’s lineup took the match into their own hands.  At court three, Meghan Stubblebine outlasted Tufts’ Erica Miller in a three set battle, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.  Minutes later, Wellesley took the match at court five to knot the score at 4-4. 

The fate of each team lay in their players at court six, but Wellesley’s Jacqueline Shen was in the drivers seat and quickly defeated her opponent, 6-3, 6-2, to give her squad the chance to play Williams tomorrow at noon.

“We [Wellesley] responded well to the pressure,” continued Franek.  “All season long we have worked on making more progress with every match, and today was another step forward for us.”

Tufts finishes the season with a 12-7 record, while Wellesley ups their overall record to 20-4. 

Wellesley 5, Tufts 4

      Doubles:

      1)    Jenna Mezin/Hali Walther (W) def. Andrea Cenko/Mari Homma (T) --- 8-3

2)    Erica Miller/Meghan McCooey (T) def. Jen Schworkopt/Trish Devine (W) --- 9-7

3)    Julia Browne/Edwina Steward (T) def. Shivani Saxena/Jacqueline Shen (W) --- 8-3

Singles:

1)    Browne (T) def. Mezine (W) --- 6-3, 6-4

2)    McCooey (T) def. Schwarzkopt (W) --- 6-0, 6-1

3)    Meghan Stubblebine (W) def. Miller (T) --- 7-5, 1-6, 6-3

4)    Devine (W) def. Cenko (T) --- 6-0, 6-3

5)    Saxena (W) def. Homma (T) --- 6-4, 6-2

6)    Shen (W) def. Stewart (T) --- 6-3, 6-2

May 3, 2008

Williams rolls in first match of NCAAs, defeats St. Lawrence, 5-0

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Despite the early morning start time, the Williams women’s tennis team was prepped and ready to play as they breezed past a visiting St. Lawrence squad, 5-0. 

Finishing the match in just under two hours at the indoor facilities in Chapman Lansing Rink, the second-ranked Ephs advance to play the winner of the 1:00 match up between #8 Wellesley College and #13 Tufts University.  The regional final will be played tomorrow at noon.

St. Lawrence had advanced to the Round of 32 upon defeating SUNY New Paltz, 5-0, yesterday afternoon.  A very talented Williams squad proved too much for the Saints today, as the Ephs established dominance early in the match after soaring to a 3-0 lead in doubles play in just forty-five minutes. 

Freshman Nikki Reich tallied the first singles win at court four.  Defeating Chelsea Hubbell in a 6-0, 6-0 result, the Ephs needed just one more point to defeat the opposition.  It seemed to be only a matter of time as Grace Baljon led at court two by a set, and was serving at 3-0 in the second set when Reich finished her match.  Baljon eventually closed out the match against Casey Gilman, 6-2, 6-0 to give Williams the win and a spot in tomorrow’s regional final.

“It is great to put a check mark next to the round of 32, and be into the round of 16,” said Williams’ head coach Alison Swain.  “Whether we play Wellesley or Tufts tomorrow, it is definitely going to be a battle.  We’re very excited though, and felling good about our tennis right now.”

St. Lawrence finishes their season with a 15-5 record, while Williams ups their overall record to 17-3.   

Williams 5, St. Lawrence 0

Doubles:

      1)    Cary Gibson/Annie Schneidman (W) def. Kirsten Lannon/Chelsea Hubbell (SL) --- 8-1

2)    Allie Rottkamp/Grace Baljon (W) def. Stephanie Finn/Casey Gilman (SL) --- 8-2

3)    Nikki Reich/Annie Hancock (W) def. Teresa Rodriguez/Liz Ronty (SL) --- 8-3

Singles:

      1)    Gibson (W) led. Lannon (SL) --- 7-5, 2-2 DNF

2);Times New Roman";">    Baljon (W) def. Gilman (SL) --- 6-2, 6-0

3)    Ashley Parsons (W) led. Rodriguez (SL) --- 6-2, 3-2 DNF

4)    Reich (W) def. Hubbell (SL) --- 6-0, 6-0

5)    Rottkamp (W) led. Mackenzie Hall (SL) --- 40-30 DNF

6)    Annie Hancock (W) vs. Paige Cohen (SL) --- DNP

May 2, 2008

Tufts Blanks Roger Williams 5-0 to Advance to Second Round

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – In a match played outdoors under gray and threatening skies with temperatures in the upper 40s Tufts downed Roger Williams 5-0 to advance to the second round.

With the win 11th-ranked Tufts improved to 12-6 on the year and Roger Williams finishes the year at 15-5.

"I thought we did a great job in doubles today going after every point," said Tufts head coach Kate Bayard. "Aggressive doubles play is a key for us going forward."

The closest doubles match came at number three where the Jumbos' Julia Browne and Edwina Stewart prevailed 8-4 over RWU's Lily Osowski and Joanne Nettlefield 8-4.

Straight sets singles victories were recorded by the Jumbos' Megan McCooey at number two and Erica Miller at number three.

Tufts will now have a chance to avenge a 7-2 loss at Wellesley on April 18th when they meet Wellesley tomorrow at noon in the second round.

"Doubles will be key in tomorrow's match," noted Bayard. "Last time we played Wellesley they swept the doubles. We were competitive at the top of the lineup in singles, but we need to be better in doubles. It will be key for us to stay focused and aggressive."

Tufts and Wellesley will meet at noon if the match is played outdoors on Saturday and at 1:30 pm if the match is played indoors.

Tufts  5, Roger Williams  0

DOUBLES
1.    Andrea Cenko/Mari Homma (T) def. Caitlyn Leone/Leah Ribchinsky (RW) – 8-2
2.    Erica Miller/Meghan McCooey (T) def. Haley McCraven/Kelsey Parente (RW) – 8-1
3.    Julia Browne/Edwina Stewart (T) def. Lily Osowski/Joanne Nettlefield (RW) – 8-4

SINGLES
1.    Browne (T) -- Leone (RW) – 6-1, 5-1 -- DNF
2.    McCooey (T) def. Ribchinsky (RW) – 6-0, 6-2
3.    Miller (T) def. Nettlefield (RW) – 6-0, 6-0
4.    Cenko (T) -- Parente (RW) – 6-1, 0-1 -- DNF
5.    Homma (T) -- McCraven (RW) – 6-1, 4-1 -- DNF
6.    Stewart (T) -- Megan Harrington (RW) – 6-0, 4-1 -- DNF

Match Schedule:

Friday, May 2nd         
9:00 am -- St. Lawrence 5,  SUNY New Paltz 0
12:00pm -- Tufts #13 5, Roger Williams Univ. 0
 
Saturday, May 3rd   
9:00 am – Williams #2 (16-3)  vs. St. Lawrence (15-4)
12:00pm – Wellesley #8 (19-4)  vs. Tufts #13 (12-6)

Sunday, May 4th   
12:00pm -- Regional Tournament Final

May 2, 2008

St. Lawrence Downs SUNY New Paltz 5-0 to Advance to Second Round

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – St. Lawrence University head coach Jeremy Freeman knew that today's match in the NCAAs would be much tougher than when his Saints met SUNY New Paltz at St. Lawrence at the end of March, especially with his number two singles player Stephanie Finn limited to just doubles play.

Although St. Lawrence prevailed in the regular season match up 8-1, the tournament atmosphere had the chance to change things, or so Freeman thought. "We expected New Paltz to be a little stronger than they were in March and with Stephanie [Finn] limited to just doubles play we knew we needed some players to step up," said Freeman.

Step up is exactly what the Saints did as they swept doubles play and won two singles matches to record the final margin of 5-0. In NCAA Tournament play matches are only played until determination (when a team reaches five wins).

The closest doubles match was at number one where Kirsten Lannon and Chelsea Hubbell of St. Lawrence outlasted Dana Lim and Eri Yamakawa 9-7. 

In singles the Saints got victories at number three and four. Teresa Rodrigues won at three in straight sets and at four Chelsea Hubbell won in three sets. Two of the singles matches were halted at one set each and St. Lawrence led at number five 4-1. The six singles match never got on the court due to the availability of just four indoor courts.

With the win St. Lawrence improves to 15-4 on the year and SUNY New Paltz closes out the year at 9-9.

St. Lawrence advances to play host Williams tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. "I'm happy with where we are and where we're heading," said Freeman. "We're looking forward to tomorrow's competition against a very successful Williams team."

Finn's status for the Williams match is likely to be the same as today – play in doubles, but not singles.

St. Lawrence  5, SUNY New Paltz  0

DOUBLES
1.    Kirsten Lannon/Chelsea Hubbell (SLU) def. Dana Lim/Eri Yamakawa (NP) – 9-7
2.    Casey Gilman/Stephanie Finn (SLU) def. Liz Beirne/Lyndsey Lovinger (NP) – 8-2
3.    Teresa Rodriguez/Liz Ronty (SLU) def. Kerry Serkes/Stephanie Schara (NP) – 8-0

SINGLES
1.  Lannon (SLU) –even - Lim (NP) – 6-2, 6-7 (3)  - DNF       
2.  Gilman (SLU) –even- Beirne (NP) – 6-4, 4-6 - DNF       
3.  Rodriguez (SLU) def. Yamakawa (NP) – 6-3, 6-4
4.  Hubbell (SLU) def. Lovinger (NP) – 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
5.  MacKenzie Hall (SLU) led  Serkes (NP) – 4-1 - DNF
6.  Paige Cohen (SLU) def. Schara (NP) -- DNS

April 30, 2008

Play begins Friday morning in the six-team NCAA Div. III Tennis regional being hosted by the Williams College Ephs. St. Lawrence and SUNY New Paltz will meet at 9:00 am, followed by a match between Tufts and Roger Williams University at 12:00 pm.

With good weather play will be held at The Torrence M. Hunt '44 Tournament Courts. Should weather force play indoors then the matches will be held in Lansing Chapman Rink.

Host Williams, coached by rookie head coach Alison Swain is making its 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Williams has been seeded first in the region and will play its first match on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. Second seeded Wellesley College also received a first round bye and will first see action at 12:00 pm on Saturday.

Saturday's winners will meet on Sunday at 12:00 pm to determine which team will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals on May 13th on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. 

Match Schedule:

Friday, May 2nd         
9:00 am -- St. Lawrence 5,  SUNY New Paltz 0
12:00pm -- Tufts #13 5, Roger Williams Univ. 0
 
Saturday, May 3rd   
9:00 am – Williams #2 (16-3)  vs. St. Lawrence (15-4)
12:00pm – Wellesley #8 (19-4)  vs. Tufts (12-6)

Sunday, May 4th   
12:00pm -- Regional Tournament Final

April 29, 2008

Tournament Bracket

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — The Williams College women's tennis team (16-3) was awarded an at-large berth into the 2008 Div. III NCAA Tournament Monday, the 16th straight season the Ephs have qualified for the NCAAs.

Williams, ranked No. 2 in the country, will host a regional this weekend. Play begins Friday and concludes Sunday. On Friday, St. Lawrence (12-3) will play New Paltz (8-2) and Tufts (11-6) will face Roger Williams (15-1).

The Ephs face the New Paltz-St. Lawrence winner Saturday, while second-seended Wel lesley (10-1) plays the winner of the Tufts-Roger Williams match.

Times and ticket prices have yet to be announced.

"We are thrilled to be hosting the NCAA regional rounds this year," Williams head coach Alison Swain said. "It is going to be very exciting to start off what will hopefully be a deep run in the tournament on our home courts with a home crowd. The girls have been working very hard all year so that we can be at our best in post season play.  The team demonstrated their determination and fight this weekend, and we look forward to carrying positive momentum into the NCAA regional tournament. No doubt each match from here on out is going to be a battle, but that is what we love and the team is looking forward to it."

The championship provides for a 47-team tournament.  Automatic qualification (AQ) is granted to 31 conference champions, which form "Pool A."  Seven teams are selected from true independents and schools from conferences that do not have an automatic bid for their champions (Pool B).  The remaining nine teams are selected from those teams in conferences with automatic bids that did not win their conference's AQ and the remaining Pool B institutions (Pool C).  The teams are geographically paired, whenever possible.

The Ephs were one of nine Pool C team receiving a bid. Last year, they reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals before bowing to Washington & Lee.