Williams Downs Skidmore 9-0

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Ephs began the Spring portion of their season on Saturday with a dual match against Skidmore College, securing the 9-0 victory.

"This match was a great start to the season," said head coach Alison Swain. "We certainly have things to work on in the week ahead, but overall I think we felt prepared and transferred the things we've been working on for the past month into match play."

The team entered the day on a 28 dual match winning streak that extends back to May of 2014, including two dual match wins this fall. Coach Swain, after the team secured its 28^th victory in a row against Amherst on October 3rd, said her team isn't "focused on any win streak or keeping those alive. We just focus on one match at a time." Now at 29 matches, the streak is the longest in program history.

The beginning of the spring season also marked the return of two Ephs. Hannah Atkinson '17 returned from a semester abroad and participated against Skidmore, securing a 6-0, 6-3 win in singles as well as an 8-1 victory with doubles partner Mia Gancayco '18. Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio '18 returns from an injury that cut her freshman spring short.

In doubles, teams Juli Raventos '18 and Linda Shin '17 as well as Maya Hart '16 and Julia Cancio '18 also downed their opponents.

Raventos, Gancayco, Shin, Atkinson and Cancio won their respective matches in the singles portion of the match, as did senior Alex Stone. All matches were dispatched in two sets.    

Today marked the first of six matches against nationally ranked teams to begin the season. The team now turns to an away match against Johns Hopkins on March 19^th. The first home match will come on April 9^th against Middlebury College. "As usual, our spring season starts out with a bang," said Swain, "I think the entire team feels like it is time to start playing matches, and that we are ready for the opportunities to compete that lay ahead."

Complete Results: