Ephs pick up first win at home against Tufts, 6-3
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. – Williams women’s tennis picked up their schedule after a week long hiatus, continuing to play against the top competition in Division III. Facing off against #10 Tufts (6-3, 4-2) the Ephs extended their record to an unblemished 10-0 with a 6-3 result, and picked up their second NESCAC victory of the season, and their first of the spring season.
Tufts has some of the top individual talent in the region. Their number one doubles pair of Julia Browne and Meghan McCooey is ranked second in the nation, right under William’s top tandem of Cary Gibson and Nikki Reich. Gibson and Reich showed why they are on top, defeating the Jumbos duo, 8-6. Williams would head out of doubles play with 2-1 advantage.
Browne and McCooey would exact their loss in singles play. Browne, ranked as the #1 singles player in the Northeast, soundly defeated Williams’ Grace Baljon, 6-1, 6-0. McCooey was nowhere near as dominant at court two over an always-tough Gibson, but still pulled out the three set match.
The remaining singles players pulled through for the Ephs. Reich and Alotta, both undefeated thus far in the season in singles, won in straight sets. Hancock also picked up a win in two sets at court six. At court five, Ashley Parsons finished off the sixth point for the Ephs, coming back from a first set loss to defeat the Jumbos’ Jennifer LaCara.
“It is great to start our conference schedule,” commented Williams’ head coach Alison Swain. “We knew that Tufts was a tough team, and they proved that today. We were psyched to play and win on our home courts.”
The #1 Ephs will travel to #6 Middlebury on Tuesday. Match time is set for 4:00 p.m.
Williams 6, Tufts 3
Doubles-
1) Cary Gibson/Nikki Reich (W) def. Julia Browne/Meghan McCooey (T) --- 8-6
2) Grace Baljon/Taylor French (W) def. Jennifer Lavet/Jennifer LaCara (T) --- 8-1
3) Hillary Rosen/Erica Miller (T) def. Genny Loomis/Kristin Alotta (W) --- 8-6
Singles-
1) Browne (T) def. Baljon (W) --- 6-1, 6-0
2) McCooey (T) def. Gibson (W) --- 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
3) Reich (W) def. Miller (T) --- 6-1, 6-4
4) Kristin Alotta (W) def. Edwina Stewart (T) --- 6-1, 6-2
5) Ashley Parsons (W) def. LaCara (T) --- 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
6) Annie Hancock (W) def. Lavet (T) --- 6-3, 6-2
