BENNINGTON, VT— The #20 Ephs (6-6 overall, 2-4 NESCAC) won a battle today against the out-of-conference #40 Skidmore College Thoroughbreds (7-9 overall, 5-1 Conf.) this Saturday at the Bennington Tennis Center in Vermont. The Thoroughbreds are reigning Liberty League Champions, The Ephs swept doubles yet again and held on in singles before closing the match out strong in a 5-2 win.
Doubles play continued to go the way of the Ephs, with their second doubles sweep in as many days. At #1, senior
Yuu Ishikawa and junior
Jane Ladaga continued their impressive season. Their tactical plays and superb volleying helped them win the first five games in a row before closing out the set 6-1. This win is their tenth in a row, and the pair remain undefeated at number one doubles—an impressive feat by any estimation. Next to finish were freshman
Mia Roets and sophomore
Margaux Molyneux. Molyneux's powerful ball striking set Roets up for excellent poaches, and the pair took an early lead to claim a 6-1 win as well. At number three,
Ahn Lin and junior
Mia Thomann returned to the lineup. Staying steady from the baseline, the pair effectively utilized doubles formations on their service games to hold quickly and then apply pressure on return games. After taking a 4-1 lead, a momentum shift saw the next two games go to Skidmore. However, the Ephs recovered, playing with focus in the next game to seal the sweep with a 6-3 set.
With the doubles point secured, numbers 1, 2, and 5 took to the court for singles. At #2, Molyneux started the match strong, using solid ball striking and angles to overpower her opponent 6-2. However, her opponent recovered, becoming more consistent and adjusting to her pace. After several back-and-forth games, Molyneux found herself down. She continued to fight but fell short in a third set. At #1, Ishikawa faced an extremely consistent opponent. The match was a battle of returns, as the pair exchanged breaks for ten straight games. Despite some stunning drop shots and net play, Ishikawa fell 7-5, 6-2. At #5, Ladaga started her match extremely solid. Variations of slice and topspin from the baseline allowed her to find her way to net, putting away volleys and overheads for a 5-0 lead. However, her opponent raised her level, taking the next four games in a row. Ladaga showed her mental strength to turn the tide and win the next game, taking the set 6-4. However, Ladaga would lose a few key points to fall in the second set 6-2. With the Ephs down 2-1 and Ladaga entering a third set, the pressure was on as the Ephs searched for their first singles point.
The next round of matches provided the necessary spark. At #6, freshman
Ellie Stark outmaneuvered her opponent with unmatched consistency. Stark's patient aggression from the baseline and timely net play helped her to take the first set 6-2. Her second set went much the same, resulting in a 6-0 win behind effective serves and fearless striking. At the same time, Ladaga had recovered her focus in the third set. Taking a tough 3 games to start, she recovered from a 15-40 deficit to go up 4-0 and firmly establish her lead. Fearless approaches and consistent overheads pressured her opponent with every shot as Ladaga claimed the set 6-1. The Ephs were now up 3-2, needing only one more match to clinch the win.
At #4, Lin was also facing an extremely consistent opponent. The pair exchanged holds to open the first set, with Lin serving down 5-4. Finding a new level of intensity, she used her all-court game to open the court and move her foe relentlessly. Powerful backhands from the baseline and confident overheads helped her win the next three games in a row, taking the set 7-5. Lin didn't let the lead go, utilizing her height and volleys to take an early lead in the second. Up 4-2, she won a key game to consolidate a break and eventually close the match 6-2. With her victory, the Ephs took the win overall and gathered to cheer on Roets at #3.
Roets was in a battle. Facing an opponent with power on both wings, she stayed steady to take a 5-2 lead in the first. However, her opponent found her rhythm, striking back to tie the set at 6-6. In the tiebreak, Roets' consistency helped her to a 7-3 win. The second set was also tense. Her opponent came out firing, and Roets went down 2-0 quickly. However, she weathered the storm, winning two key deuce points with huge forehand winners to keep the set close. She won another two games to take a 4-3 lead but eventually dropped the second set 7-3 in another tiebreak. In the match tiebreak, Roets found new intensity and stayed aggressive. Powerful striking from both sides saw many entertaining points, but Roets' excellent serving and commitment to every shot helped establish an early lead. She held on to win 10-7.
After the match, Eph head Coach
Anik Cepeda commented "Today the doubles and the energy coming off the bench during second wave of singles made all the difference. It got really close there for a bit and the three singles players left on court—Ahn, Mia R. and Ellie—owned their attitude, stayed true to their games, and that got us over the finish line." The Ephs will return next week for a pair of home matches against NESCAC opposition. They face #4 Middlebury College on Saturday at 1 pm and #38 Hamilton College on Sunday at 10 am.
