CAMBRIDGE, MA -- The two-time defending NCAA
champion Williams Women’s tennis team opened its fall season
in fine fashion today in the opening rounds of the Northeast
Regional ITA Tournament at MIT. Four Ephs
advanced to the round of 16 in the singles bracket, while a pair of
doubles teams advanced to the quarterfinals.
The ITA tournament is the biggest tournament of the fall,
attracting the top teams from the region.
Results from the tournament help determine national rankings for
the spring season, and the competition provides a good benchmark
early in the season. Champions of the regional
tournament also qualify for a national ITA tournament later in the
fall.
The Ephs wasted little time regaining their championship
form. Head coach Allison Swain said of the day:
“I’m very excited. It’s the
first contest of the fall and you never know exactly where we
are.” She added that the women are very
excited to have so many players still competing over the weekend.
Perhaps the highlight of the day came from first-year Nancy
Worley. Worley defeated Nathalie Herman of
Wellesley College 6-1, 6-2 to set up a showdown with
Amherst’s Laura Danzig. Worley won a
heated match in the tiebreak 6-4, 5-7 (12-10).
Worley faces the #7 overall seed Tori Aiello of Middlebury tomorrow
morning.
Senior captain Grace Baljon, the #2 seed in the singles
tournament, advanced easily. Baljon defeated Sabrina Salmela
of Simmons College 6-1, 6-1 and Janice Lam of Tufts 6-2,
7-5. Baljon also advanced to the quarterfinals
in the doubles draw with sophomore Taylor French. Third-seeded French and Baljon
cruised past Liza Pope and Maggie Taylor of Simmons 8-0 in the
opening round and Meg Anderson and Jacqui Holmes of Bates in the
round of 16.
Sophomore Kristin Alotta, who earned All-NESCAC honors as a
first-year, won both of her singles by defeating Katie Muto of
Colby 6-0, 6-1 and Anika Fisher of Wesleyan 6-4,
6-2. With he two wins today Alotta has etended
her unbeaten string to 27 and has an overall singles mark of
31-1.
Alotta and teammate Nikki Reich joined Baljon and French in the
quarterfinals of the doubles draw. Reich and
Alotta defeated Tori Aiello and Anna Burke of Middlebury 8-3 and
the team of Nicole Pontee and Joy Backer of Vassar 8-2 en route to
the quarterfinals.
The two Williams teams would not meet until the finals.
Reich, a junior, also advanced in the singles draw defeating
Connecticut’s Becca Heupel 6-0, 6-0 and Tufts’ Edwina
Stewart 6-3, 6-1.
Reich earned All-American honors last year in doubles play, winning
the 2008 regional ITA doubles crown with Cary
Gibson. Gibson, the top player from last
year’s championship team graduated last spring, but Reich
hopes to capture another title this year playing alongside
Alotta.
Also in action for the Ephs were junior Lucy Marchese, senior
co-captain Ashley Parsons, and the doubles team of Marchese and
Worley. Marchese easily topped Amy Shaw of
Springfield College 6-2, 6-0 before falling in a hard-fought match
to Bowdoin’s Chantaille Lavertu 6-2, 6-4.
Parsons fell in the opening round to Wheaton’s Catherine
Teague 6-4, 3-6 (11-9). Despite the heartbreak
of a tiebreak loss, Parsons is still competing.
She topped Middlebury’s Anna Burke 6-3, 6-0 in the first
round of the consolation bracket to keep her tournament
alive. The doubles team of Marchese and Worley
defeated Bowdoin’s Kellen Alberstone and Brett Davis in
dramatic fashion 9-8 (7-5) before falling just short against the
fourth seeded team of Sarah Geocaris and Catherine Teague from
Wheaton 9-8 (7-4).
The Ephs continue play tomorrow with matches beginning at 9 A.M.
Full Results can be found on the tournament website.
