WILIAMSTOWN, MA – Alison Swain's Williams College tennis team (17-0) edged visiting Bowdoin (12-4) 5-4 in an exciting and well-played match.
The loss snapped the Polar Bears' four-match win streak, but lifted the Ephs to 17-0 on the year and 18 wins in a row dating back to last season.
Bowdoin jumped out to a 2-1 lead by winning at two and three doubles, while Williams captured number one doubles. Bowdoin's number two duo of Tess Trinka and Kyra Silitch topped the Eph pairing of Juli Raventos and Linda Shin 8-6. At three doubles the Polar Bears' duo of Emma Chow and Pilar Giffenig outlasted the Eph tandem of Rebecca Curran and Maya Hart, 9-8 (5).
The Ephs' Maria Pylypiv and Julia Cancio downed Bowdoin's Tiffany Cheng and Joulia Likhanskaia, 8-5.
Eph senior captain Rebecca Curran tied the match at two with a straight set win over Samantha Stadler, 6-2, 6-1. Senior captain Maria Pylypiv then gave the Ephs a 3-2 lead when she beat Joulia Likhanskaia 6-2, 6-3.
The Eph lead grew to 4-2 when freshman Mia Gancayco defeated Pilar Giffeng 7-5, 6-0.
Tess Trinka got Bowdoin within one point of tying the Ephs when she prevailed at three singles over the Ephs' Linda Shin, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Freshman Juli Raventos secured the victory for Williams with her three-set win over Tiffany Cheng at two singles, providing Williams with a fifth point. Raventos lost the first set 3-6, but came back to win 6-4, 6-1.
The number five singles match was the last match to finish on the day. Bowdoin's Kyra Silitch defeated Eph freshman Julia Cancio in three sets. Silitch won the first set 6-2, but Cancio took the second 6-0, before Silitch notched the win prevailing 7-5 in the third set, making the final score 5-4 Williams.
This was the first 5-4 match the Ephs had played this spring although they did top Amherst 5-4 in Amherst last October.
The Ephs will complete their regular season tomorrow when they host conference foe Bates in a 10:00 a.m. match.
Next up for the Polar Bears will be an appearance in the NESCAC Tournament along with the Ephs and four other teams. Tournament seedings will come out early the week of April 27.
