Ephs Overcome Rival Amherst

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Williams hosted rival Amherst today, blanking the opponents in both singles and doubles to secure a 9-0 victory.

"The entire team competed so well today," said head coach Alison Swain, "They handled the pressure of the rivalry and their individual matches with maturity, composure, and a desire to win. I was impressed with everyone's execution and our collective team spirit."

All six singles secured victories, with Korina Neveux '19, Julia Cancio '18, and Juli Raventos '18 all battling through extra sets. "Kori, Julia, and Juli all fighting to win their respective matches in three sets or match tiebreakers really showed the heart that this team plays with regardless of whether the match is still on the line or already decided," said Coach Swain. Mia Gancayco '18, Linda Shin '17 and Alex Stone '16 also overcame their opponents, completing the undefeated day.

Doubles also managed to shut out Amherst with three victories. Julia Cancio and Leah Bush '19 got off to an early lead, eventually winning 8-2. According to Alison Swain, this was one of the most important matches of the day. "Julia and Leah's 3-0 lead in doubles got everyone calmed down and settled into their matches quickly," she said. Teams of Maya Hart '16 and Mia Gancayco as well as Juli Raventos and Linda Shin secured victories at 8-3, 8-4 respectively.

After today, Amherst holds a 39-35 lead in the all-time series against the Ephs that began in 1977. Today's victory was the first 9-0 victory over Amherst. The Ephs have now won the last five matches in the series after the 5-4 loss in the 2014 NCAA semifinals. Since that loss, the Ephs have secured twenty-eight straight dual match victories, the longest streak in program history. "We aren't focused on any win streak or keeping those alive," said Coach Swain. "We just focus on one match at a time."

The Ephs now turn to the Middlebury Invitational taking place next weekend on 10/10 and 10/11.