Hope and Heartbreak -- Ephs Take on Day 2 of NEWITTs

AMHERST, MA -- The Ephs had a long day of matches today, with all three teams competing hard in extremely windy conditions at Amherst College. Before play began, Senior Yuu Ishikawa was awarded the Christine Davis Sportsmanship Award, dedicated to the junior or senior who has exemplified grace, passion, and dedication in their tennis.
 
Juniors Jane Ladaga and Annabelle Siegel notched the first win for the Ephs in doubles. The pairing of Siegel's serve and baseline power with Ladaga's excellent anticipation at net saw them earn an 8-2 win. Ladaga got off to a strong start in singles. Her consistency from the baseline and unbeatable defense let her take the first set 6-1. She continued the trend, seizing control in the second set and seeing it out to clinch the matchup for Williams. At the same time, senior Yuu Ishikawa was displaying her mental strength at the one singles position. Despite falling behind 2-5 in the first set, she regained control to win the next five games in a row and take the set 7-5. The second set did not go her way however, and it went 2-6 to Bates. In the tiebreak, Ishikawa utilized her heavy forehand and stunning volleys to put the match away, 10-7.
 
In B Flight quarterfinals, freshmen Ellie Stark and Mia Roets looked to take out the four seeds from MIT. Stark and Roets started doubles slow, struggling to adjust to the conditions and their opponent's unique spin. However, after trailing 4-7, they found a new level to tie the match at 7-7. The combination of Stark's serve and Roets' net game saw them take a 5-1 lead. Unfortunately, MIT regrouped quickly, saving a match point to win. Roets rebounded quickly in singles at line two. She pressured her opponent with every shot, using her forehand to put away long rallies and move her opponent from side to side. She won her match 6-3, 6-3. The matchup then came down to Stark, who was battling at line one. Despite a number of forehand winners and many long points, she fell 3-6, 3-6 and the pair were eliminated.
 
Next up were sophomores Julia Zhang and Ahn Lin, looking to continue their run from yesterday. They started doubles strong, combining strong defense from the back with aggressive poaching to take a 7-4 lead. However, Tufts rebounded, tying the match at 7-7. The Ephs rebounded quickly, taking an early lead and holding on to win the tiebreak 8-5. The Ephs headed into a difficult round of singles against strong opponents. At line 2, Lin dropped the first set 2-6, struggling to find her rhythm against a consistent opponent. She initially struggled in the second as well, going down 2-5. Lin continued to fight, saving two match points with stunning drop shots at 3-5 to take a 6-5 lead in the second. Unfortunately, her opponent won some key points to send the set to a tiebreak and win the match.
 
The matchup then came down to line one, where Zhang was also playing an extremely consistent opponent. Zhang struggled to find her forehand in the first set, going down 1-4. However, she recovered to take the next four games and go up 5-4. It was neck and neck for the next games, with both players rarely missing. Despite saving a few set points, Tufts took the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6. In the second, Tufts started strong, taking a 3-1 lead. However, this time Zhang flipped the script, winning the next five games to take the set 6-3. The tiebreak was a nail-biter, with extremely long rallies as both players rarely missed. Despite saving two match points and recovering from a 3-7 deficit, Zhang eventually lost 9-11.
 
The trio of upperclassmen then competed again in the semifinals of A Flight consolation against an in-form team from Amherst. This time, Ishikawa and Ladaga took the court in doubles. They started play quickly, with aggressive volleys and many entertaining points seeing them take an early lead. In particular, Ishikawa's pinpoint forehand accuracy saw some excellent returns blow by Amherst's net player. They finished with a score of 8-2. In singles, Ladaga continued the momentum, serving excellently and playing aggressive from the baseline to hold games. In the second set, she trailed for the first half, until breaking at 3-4 to take a lead. Ladaga didn't let up, closing out the match in style 6-4, 6-4 to clinch a spot in the finals for the trio. Notably, Ladaga went 4/4 in today's matches, finishing with a perfect record. Siegel struggled to settle into her match, with a combination of ferocious wind and drama on neighboring courts disrupting her rhythm. Despite a number of excellent forehand winners, she lost a tight first set 5-7 and dropped the second 3-6.
 
Speaking on today, Head Coach Anik Cepeda said "There were a lot of positives today. The team is really working hard to support each other and rally behind one another." NEWITTS will continue tomorrow, with the upperclassman trio playing in the finals of A Flight consolation against Smith College's top team.
 
Results:
A Flight Consolation:
Annabelle Siegel/Jane Ladaga def. Iris Westmoreland/Ava Steinberger 8-2
Yuu Ishikawa def. Iris Westmoreland 7-5, 2-6, 10-7
Jane Ladaga def Ava Steinberger, 6-1, 6-3
 
B Flight:
Megan Sun/Anselma Petrie def. Ellie Stark/Mia Roets 8-7 (6)
Megan Sun def. Ellie Stark 6-3, 6-3
Mia Roets def. Selma Petrie 6-3, 6-3
 
Julia Zhang/Ahn Lin def. Ellie Gershaw/Brooklyn Bindas 8-7 (4)
Ellie Gershaw def. Julia Zhang 7-6 (5), 3-6, 11-9
Brooklyn Bindas def. Ahn Lin 6-2, 7-6 (0)
 
A Flight Consolation:
Yuu Ishikawa/Jane Ladaga def. Greta Stechschulte/Mia Kintiroglou 8-3
Jane Ladaga def. Mia Kintiroglou 6-4 6-4
Greta Stechschulte def. Annabelle Siegel 7-5, 6-3