--BENNINGTON, VT—The #24 Ephs (4-6 overall, 1-4 NESCAC) returned to NESCAC play with a tough match against the #11 Bowdoin Polar Bears (8-4 overall, 3-2 NESCAC) this Sunday. The Ephs fought hard in doubles and singles but were ultimately bested 0-7.
Doubles play was tight. At #3, the pairing of junior
Mia Thomann and sophomore
Margaux Molyneux struggled to adjust to aggressive net play from their opponents, falling 1-6. The Ephs would need both remaining matches to secure the doubles point. They would grab a point at #1, where senior
Yuu Ishikawa and junior
Jane Ladaga continued their excellent form. Their seamless communication, superb volleying, and precise serves helped them to down the Polar Bears, earning a solid 6-2 win against a strong team. The pair remain undefeated. The match would come down to #2, where freshman
Mia Roets and sophomore
Ahn Lin were still battling. After falling behind 5-2, they continued to pressure their opponents but fell 6-3.
The Ephs continued to fight in singles, with lines 1, 3, and 5 up first. At #5, Lin's match was decided on numerous deuce points, with almost every game going the distance. However, some key serves by her opponent on critical points helped the Polar Bears gain momentum, and Lin fell 6-2, 6-2. At #3, Thomann was engaged in another battle, facing an extremely consistent opponent. After dropping the first set 6-1, she found her rhythm to take a 5-4 lead in the second. However, steady play from her opponent led to a 7-5 defeat. At #1, Molyneux started her match strong. Excellent serving and huge hitting from the baseline left her opponent floundering, and Molyneux stormed to a 6-2 lead. However, her opponent recovered, taking the next two sets 6-1, 6-1. The match being decided already, the Ephs rallied to support the remaining three players fighting for a point.
At #6, Ladaga faced a powerful opponent. Combining scrappy defense and excellent net play helped secure many points, but she fell in the first 6-2 off several tight deuce games. Ladaga would continue to fight, however, taking a 2-1 lead in the second set before her opponent raised her level again to close the match out 6-3. Roets also faced a consistent opponent at #4, where she initially struggled, falling behind 5-2. However, she found her rhythm, taking the next two games before dropping the set 6-4. Roets would start the second set strong, taking a 3-2 lead as the players traded holds. Unfortunately, some tight games went the way of Bowdoin, and they took the second set 6-4.
At #2, Ishikawa's match was a spectacle, drawing cheers and applause from both sides. Solid play from the back and intelligent volleys saw her take the first set 6-3. Ishikawa would start the second set much the same, taking a 4-2 lead behind some stellar returns and composure under pressure. The opponents traded games, but solid play from Bowdoin sent the set to a tiebreak. Losing momentum, Ishikawa dropped the first six points. However, she rallied to win the next four, finding her rhythm before dropping the tiebreak 7-4. As the dual match had been decided, the pair played a 10-point tiebreak to determine the winner. Ishikawa started slow, falling behind 6-3. The next point, she broke a string on her serve, then volleyed a winner to shift the momentum her way and dig a few points back. After saving three match points, Ishikawa clawed her way to 9-9. The tiebreak continued on, with each point leaving spectators in awe. Ishikawa would go on to save a total of 7 match points before falling 16-14 in the match of the day.
After the match, Eph head coach
Anik Cepeda commented "Today's match was closer than the final scoreline. Over the next several weeks we have to do reps on the things that frustrate us the most in order to get to where we want to be by post-season. I have a lot of belief in this team. We'll bounce back next week, stronger and be more patiently aggressive." The Ephs will return next week in a NESCAC matchup on Saturday against Connecticut College and an out-of-conference match against Skidmore College on Sunday.
Results:
Doubles:
Yuu Ishikawa/
Jane Ladaga (WIL) def. Caroline Stuhlfaut/Jamilah Karah (BOW), 6-2
Zoe Sun/Isabella Hartung (BOW) def.
Ahn Lin/
Mia Roets (WIL), 6-3
Cara Hung/Julia Ross (BOW) def.
Mia Thomann/
Margaux Molyneux (WIL) 6-1
Singles:
Caroline Stuhlfaut def.
Margaux Molyneux, 2-6 6-1 6-1
Jamilah Karah def.
Yuu Ishikawa 3-6 7-6 (4) 1-0 (14)
Suzanne Pogorelec (BOW) def.
Mia Thomann 6-1 7-5
Julia Ross def.
Mia Roets 6-4 6-4
Isabella Hartung def.
Ahn Lin, 6-2 6-2
Zoe Sun def.
Jane Ladaga, 6-2 6-3
