Ephs hosting NESCAC Championship Friday through Sunday

May 3, 2009

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Top-seeded Amherst (16-1) defeated second-seeded Williams (14-1) for the second time this season, 5-4, to claim their fifth consecutive NESCAC championship.  The Lord Jeffs remained collected after a 2-1 hole in doubles play, coming from behind to take four of the six singles matches to grab the win. 

“We were excited to go up 2-1 in doubles,” said Ephs head coach Alison Swain.  “To their credit, they came out and played really good first sets, and even though we played solid second sets, we did not respond in enough time.  The team is upset, but it’s important to reflect on these losses and then move forward, and that’s what we can take from today.”

Williams’ Nikki Reich and Cary Gibson lost at court one to Brittany Berckes and Natasha Brown, 8-6.  Taylor French and Grace Baljon paired up at court two for a dominant 8-2 showing, while Kristin Alotta and Annie Hancock put the Ephs up with an 8-6 win at court three.

Amherst responded well to the deficit, winning the first two singles matches to go ahead 3-2.  Laken King defeated Lucy Marchese, 6-0, 7-5, while Baljon fell at court one to Berckes, 6-1, 6-2.  The last time Baljon and Berckes met, Baljon came out on the winning end in a thrilling three set match but couldn’t overpower Amherst’s number one player in today’s contest.

Annie Hancock evened the match at three apiece, winning in straight sets over Amelia Bell at court six, 6-3, 6-2.  The tie was short lived as Reich fell at court three.  Reich had appeared to be in the driver’s seat of her match, winning at love in the first set.  Amherst’s Jill Wexler rebounded to take the final two sets.  Kristin Alotta knotted up the score once more, cruising to a 6-1 second set to take the match at court four over Natasha Brown.

Amherst’s Carlissa King won the decisive fifth point for her squad, when after a 4-4 tie, she kept her cool when serving for the match to close out a 6-2 third set in a three-set battle with Gibson. Gibson had taken the second set, 7-5, but could not keep up her momentum in the final frame.

Last season, Williams also fell in the NESCAC title match to Amherst by an identical score, before powering through the top teams in the country to win a national championship.

Amherst 5, Williams 4

Doubles-

      1)    Berckes/Brown (A) def. Reich/Gibson (W) --- 8-6

2)    French/Baljon (W) def. Ankola/Bell (A) --- 8-2

3)    Alotta/Hancock (W) def. Danzig/Wexler (A) --- 8-6

Singles-

      1)    Brittany Berckes (A) def. Grace Baljon (W) --- 6-1, 6-2

2)    Carlissa King (A) def. Cary Gibson (W) --- 6-2, 5-7, 6-2

3)    Jill Wexler (A) def. Nikki Reich (W) --- 0-6, 6-4, 6-3

4)    Kristin Alotta (W) def. Natasha Brown (A) --- 7-6(3), 6-1

5)    Laken King (A) def. Lucy Marchese (W) --- 6-0, 7-5

6)    Annie Hancock (W) def. Amelia Bell (A) --- 6-3, 6-2

May 2, 2009

Amherst defeats Tufts to advance to NESCAC finals

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Top-seeded Amherst battled with fourth-seeded Tufts for a 5-2 win and a spot in tomorrow’s conference title match against host Williams. 

Julia Browne and Meghan McCooey, two of the region’s top players, paired up at court one to defeat Amherst’s top pair.  The Lord Jeffs took the bottom two doubles matches for the 2-1 advantage heading into singles play, winning by narrow margins of 8-6 in both courts.

Browne continued to contribute for Tufts at court one, winning against Brittany Berckes, 6-3, 6-3, but the bottom of the Amherst lineup proved to be to tough today as the Lord Jeffs tallied wins at courts four, five, and six. ;> ;>  Laken King lost only one game in a dominant showing at court five over Edwina Stewart, 6-0, 6-1.  Natasha Brown took first set tiebreak before cruising to a 6-1 second set, while Amelia Bell was solid in a 6-3, 6-3 win in court six.

Amherst will take on Williams tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in the NESCAC final.  Amherst defeated Williams in last year’s final, and in this year’s regular season. 

Amherst 5, Tufts 2

Doubles-

1)    Browne/McCooey (T) def. Berckes/Brown (A) --- 8-3

2)    Ankola/Bell (A) def. Stewart/Lavet (T) --- 8-6

3)    Danzig/Wexler (A) def. Miller/LaCara (T) --- 8-6

Singles-

      1)    Julia Browne (T) def. Brittany Berckes (A) --- 6-3, 6-3

2)    Meghan McCooey (T) vs. Carlissa King (A) --- 6-2, 4-6

3)    Erica Miller (T) led Jill Wexler (A) --- 6-1, 4-6, 4-2

4)    Natasha Brown (A) def. Alex CauJenn LaCara (T) --- 7-6(4), 6-1

5)    Laken King (A) def. Edwina Stewart (T) --- 6-0, 6-1

6)    Amelia Bell (A) def. Natalie Schils (T) --- 6-3, 6-3

Ephs advance to NESCAC finals over Middlebury

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – The defending national champions would love to win what escaped them last season---a NESCAC title.  The Williams women’s tennis team is one step closer to that goal, cruising past Middlebury in the conference semifinals, 5-0.

The Ephs took control early on, with Cary Gibson and Nikki Reich rattling off an 8-0 match at court one.  The following two matches were more closely contested, but Williams came out on top of both for the 3-0 lead.

Nikki Reich and Kristin Alotta tallied the two necessary points for the win.  At court three, Reich relinquished only one game in the first set, before frustrating her opponent with a 6-0 second set.: yes;">  Alotta dominated in her first set, struggled to pull ahead by a significant margin in the second, but pulled out the win, 6-0, 7-5.

“I’m really proud for being up in all our matches,” said Williams’ head coach Alison Swain.  “Every player took ownership of all their matches today.” 

The Ephs will take on Amherst tomorrow in the title match.  Amherst defeated Williams in the finals of last season’s NESCAC tournament by a 5-4 margin, and have been the only team all season long to defeat Williams on April 18, also in a 5-4 result.o-spacerun: yes;">  

“We’re looking forward to that match,” continued Swain.  “They bring out some of our best play, and at this point in the season we have to beat every team we play.”

Williams 5, Middlebury 0

Doubles-

1)    Gibson/Reich (W) def. Stone/Kurien (M) --- 8-0

2)amp;quot;Times New Roman";">    Baljon/French (W) def. Burke/Burke (M) --- 8-6

3)    Hancock/Alotta (W) def. Aiello/Haar (M) --- 9-7

Singles-

1)    Baljon (W) led Aiello (M) --- 6-2, 3-2

2)    Gibson (W) led Kurien (M) --- 7-5, 4-0

3)    Reich (W) def. Stone (M) --- 6-1, 6-0

      4)    Alotta (W) def. C. Burke (M) --- 6-0, 7-5

5)    Marcese (W) led A. Burke (M) --- 6-3, 4-2

6)    Hancock (W) led Haar (M) --- 6-2, 2-0

May 1, 2009

Middlebury advances past Trinity to face host Williams 

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Third-seeded Middlebury (10-8) used solid singles play to advance past sixth-seeded Trinity in the first round of the NESCAC tournament.  Beginning with singles play, instead of the traditional doubles, the Panthers took five of the six singles matches in straight sets.  Middlebury had defeated Trinity earlier in the season, 8-1.   

Anne Burke began things on a positive note, cruising at court five in a 6-0, 6-0 result over Jillian Steckloff.  Chandra Kurien and Liz Stone continued the Middlebury dominance with 6-1, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-1 wins at courts two and three, respectively.

Jamie Haar defeated Olivia Merns at court six, 6-1, 6-3, while Tori Aiello took the decisive fifth point at court one.  Aiello managed to take a break in the first set before finishing off her opponent in an easy second set.  Trinity’s Robin Williams took one match at court four, defeating Claire Burke, 7-5, 6-1.

Middlebury will take on second-seeded Williams tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

Middlebury 5, Trinity 1

Singles-

1)    Tori Aiello (M) def. Amanda Tremont (T) --- 7-5, 6-1

2)    Chandra Kurien (M) def. Arielle Leben ( T) --- 6-1, 6-0

3)    Liz Stone (M) def. Sarah Gould (T) --- 6-1, 6-1

4)    Robin Williams (T) def. Claire Burke (M) --- 7-5, 6-1

5)    Anne Burke (M) def. Jillian Steckloff (T) --- 6-0, 6-0

6)    Jamie Haar (M) def. Olivia Merns (T) --- 6-1, 6-3

Doubles-

1)    Kurien/Stone (M) vs. Gould/Tremont (T) --- DNP

2)    A. Burke/C. Burke (M) vs. Williams/Merns (T) --- DNP

3)    Haar/Aielle (M) vs. Leben/Steckloff (T) --- DNP

Tufts to face top-seeded Amherst in NESCAC semifinals 

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Tufts (8-4) made quick business of Bowdoin (8-7) today in Chapman Lansing Rink at Williams College, sweeping doubles play en route to a 5-0 win in the first round of the NESCAC women’s tennis championships.  The Jumbos may have come in with a mental advantage in this afternoon’s contest, as Tufts and Bowdoin had just played against one another this past Monday with the Jumbos cruising to an 8-1 result.

Julia Browne and Meghan McCooey of Tufts were involved in the most competitive doubles  match of the day against Sarah D’Elia and Emily Lombardi of Bowdoin, narrowly defeating the Polar Bears duo, 9-7.  Bowdoin fell at courts two and three by 8-5 and 8-2 results, respectively. 

Browne struck again, this time in singles play, dealing D’Elia a 6-1, 6-2 defeat to tally the fourth point of the match.  Erica Miller wrapped up the win with a 6-1, 7-5 showing at court here over Bowdoin’s Rachel Walden.   

Tufts will take on top-seeded Amherst tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to vie for spot in the conference tournament finals.

Tufts 5, Bowdoin 0 

Doubles-

1) Browne/McCooey (T) def. D'Elia/Lombardi (B) --- 9-7

2) Stewart/Lavet (T) def. Walden/Hitch (B) --- 8-5

3) Miller/LaCara (T) def. Hoerner/Pendantz (B) --- 8-2

Singles-

1) Julia Browne (T) def. Sarah D'Elia (B) --- 6-1, 6-2

2) Meghan McCooey (T) vs. Emily Lombardi (B) --- DNF

3) Erica Miller (T) def. Rachel Walden (B) --- 6-1, 7-5

4) Alex CauJenn LaCara (T) vs. Liz Pendantz (B) --- DNF

5) Edwina Stewart (T) vs. Stephanie Langer (B) --- DNF

6) Natalie Schils (T) vs. Hannah Hoerner (B) --- DNF

Amherst Eyes Fifth Consecutive Women's Tennis Title

Amherst and Williams receive first round byes

2009 NESCAC WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Friday, May 1 at Williams
No. 5 Bowdoin vs. No. 4 Tufts - 1:00 p.m.
No. 6 Trinity vs. No. 3 Middlebury - 1:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, May 2 at Williams
Winner No. 5/No. 4 vs. No. 1 Amherst - 1:00 p.m.
Winner No. 6/No. 3 vs. No. 2 Williams - 1:00 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, May 3 at Williams
Semifinal Winners - 1:00 p.m.

HADLEY, Mass. – Amherst College, winner of the last four NESCAC crowns, will begin its pursuit of a fifth conference title this weekend during the 2009 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship at Williams in Williamstown, Mass. The top-seeded Jeffs along with the second-seeded Ephs have earned a first round bye and will await the results of Friday’s first round. Action at the three-day event begins on May 1 at 1:00 p.m. with fifth-seeded Bowdoin taking on fourth-seeded Tufts while sixth-seeded Trinity clashes with third-seeded Middlebury. The 2009 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship will conclude on Sunday, May 3, with the final match getting underway at 1:00 p.m.

Friday’s match between fifth-seeded Bowdoin (8-7, 4-3 NESCAC) and fourth-seeded Tufts (8-4, 6-3 NESCAC) will be the second meeting of the two squads in less than seven days. The Jumbos came away as victors on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the doubles matches while taking the top three singles matches in straight sets en route to an 8-1 victory. It was the second-straight win for Tufts over Bowdoin, as the Polar Bears last posted a win over the Jumbos in the spring of 2007. Heading into Friday’s first round contest, Tufts is 4-3 in the month of April, with all three setbacks coming at the hands of the higher seeds in this year’s championship - Amherst, Middlebury and Williams. Bowdoin, meanwhile, put together a 3-3 record during the final month of the season, falling at Amherst (5-4) and at Williams (9-0) in addition to Tufts this past weekend. Only once have these two teams faced each other in tournament play, with Bowdoin claiming a 6-3 in the first round of the 2006 tournament. During last year’s championship, both teams made their way out of the first round before falling in the semifinals.

Friday’s winner will advance to face top-seeded Amherst (15-1, 7-0 NESCAC). The Jeffs have been on a roll since falling 6-3 to Williams back in October, earning 15 consecutive victories with the most recent coming at Middlebury on April 25, 7-2. Against its potential semifinal opponents, Amherst edged both teams by a 5-4 margin. The Jeffs avenged a loss in last year’s NCAA Tournament to Bowdoin on April 5 by recovering from a 2-1 doubles deficit with four singles victories for the 5-4 win. Two days later at Tufts, Amherst’s 2-1 advantage in doubles play was the difference after both teams split the singles matches. Since the current championship format was adopted in 2006, Amherst has won every title, going 7-0. The Jeffs dispatched the Jumbos in last year’s semifinal, 6-3, and surpassed the Polar Bears in the semifinals of the 2006 and 2007 playoffs.

Friday’s other first round contest will pit third-seeded Middlebury (9-8, 6-3 NESCAC) against sixth-seeded Trinity (12-5, 3-3 NESCAC). The Panthers recorded an 8-1 win over the Bantams in the lone meeting during the regular season on April 5 in Middlebury, Vt. Middlebury fell in its most recent outing, the aforementioned 7-2 setback to Amherst on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers have managed to put together a 5-3 record during April, having faced the five other participants in this year’s championship during that time with a win over Tufts on April 18 (7-2) along with the Trinity victory. After the Bantams lost at Middlebury they went on to win five of their next six matches, the lone setback a 9-0 loss to Williams on April 25. Trinity closed out the regular season with a 6-3 non-conference decision against MIT on April 26. The Panthers bowed out to Bowdoin in the first round last spring, 5-4, while the Bantams return to the championship after missing the field a year ago.

Second-seeded Williams (13-1, 6-1 NESCAC) will take on the Middlebury-Trinity winner on Saturday in the semifinals. The Ephs have reached Sunday’s final in each of the past three years, and every time they have been frustrated by the Jeffs. During the 2008 Women’s Tennis Championship, Williams rolled past Bowdoin 9-0 in the semifinals but came up short to Amherst by a 5-4 score. This season, the defending NCAA Women’s Tennis Champions opened up the year with a 9-0 mark before suffering it’s first and only loss so far, dropping a 5-4 match to Amherst on April 18. The Ephs rebounded nicely from the setback by going 4-0 over their last four outings, all of which were 9-0 wins. Williams has recorded a victory against the other five participants in this year’s tournament already this spring, most notably downing Middlebury 7-2 on April 14 and Trinity 9-0 on April 25. The Ephs have met the Panthers in the semifinals twice in postseason history, posting a 5-4 win in 2006 before rolling t o an 8-1 victory in 2007.

The format of the NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship changed in the spring of 2006 and features six teams vying for the NESCAC crown. Prior to 2006, the event was set up as an individual flighted tournament that included players from all 11 members of the NESCAC. Individuals and doubles teams were seeded in different classes, and a team score was determined on a points system that assigned a value for wins. The championship field is now chosen and seeded by a tournament selection committee. The top two seeds receive a first round bye.