MIDDLEBURY, VT. – Every match
women's tennis just gets better and better. Facing Bowdoin (11-7, 5-5
NESCAC) for the second time this season, top-seeded Williams (16-2,
7-0 NESCAC) demolished the fifth-seeded Polar Bears in a 9-0
showing and improved from their last meeting in which the Ephs took
the regular season match in a 6-3 result on April 19.
“We [Williams] were very focused
today,” said Williams' head coach Alison Swain. “We played
aggressively from start to finish and it showed in our overall
scores. The momentum
from beating Bowdoin, 9-0, when we had beat them 6-3 last time is
great to take into the finals tomorrow.”
Allie Rottkamp and Grace Baljon avenged their
doubles loss at court two from last weekend by beating Rachel
Waldman and Brett Davis of Bowdoin today, 8-3. Nikki Reich and Annie Hancock
were involved in a close match at court three, but the Ephs pair
came out on top in the end, 9-7, to secure the 3-0 advantage
heading into singles play.
In singles play, Cary Gibson and Hancock
sought some revenge of their own. Gibson had fallen to
Bowdoin's number one player, Kristen Raymond, last weekend by
a 6-3, 6-4 score. At
first, it appeared that the match would play out in a similar
manner. Gibson did
not back down though, and surged in the final two sets to take the
match 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
At court six, Hancock defeated her opponent in straight sets after
losing to Bowdoin's Elizabeth Pedowitz in a three set duel
last weekend.
The Ephs will await the winner of the second
semifinal between Amherst and Tufts. Second-seeded Amherst received a
first round bye, while third-seeded Tufts defeated sixth-seeded
Wesleyan yesterday, 5-4.
Upon the possibility of facing archrival
Amherst for the second time this season, Swain said, “The
team is really excited to play them [Amherst] again. They are our toughest
competition in the NESCAC, and it is always a battle between the
two teams and we love that and are looking forward to it.”
Williams 9,
Bowdoin 0
Doubles:
1) Cary Gibson/Annie Schneidman (W)
def. Sarah D'Elia/Kristen Raymond (B) --- 8-3
2) Allie Rottkamp/Grace Baljon (W)
def. Rachel Waldman/Brett Davis (B) --- 8-3
3) Nikki Reich/Annie Hancock (W)
def. Kaitlin Raymond/Elizabeth Pedowitz (B) --- 9-7
Singles:
1) Gibson (W) def Kristen Raymond (B) --- 4-6,
6-1, 6-4
2)
Baljon (W) def. D'Elia (B) --- 6-2, 6-1
3)
Ashley Parsons (W) def. Kaitlin Raymond (B) --- 6-3, 6-2
4)
Reich (W) def. Brett Davis (B) --- 6-3, 6-4
5)
Rottkamp (W) def. Waldman (B) --- 6-1, 6-1
6)
Hancock (W) def. Pedowitz (B) --- 6-3, 7-5
