No. 22 Ephs Garner At-Large Bid into NCAA Division III Tournament

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - For the 28th time in program history, the No. 22-ranked Williams College women's tennis team will be competing in the NCAA Division III Tournament, as the Ephs earned an at-large bid onto the national stage Monday.

The Ephs (11-8, 5-5 NESCAC) will compete against SUNY New Paltz in first-round action Friday on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. If the match is outdoors it is set to start at noon and if the event moves indoors it will not start before 3 p.m. Williams has won 10 NCAA Tournaments, including six consecutive from 2008-13. The unit was on the national stage for 25 straight years from 1994-2018, while also reaching the tournament in 2022 and 2023. New Paltz (8-10, 5-0 SUNYAC) earned its fourth consecutive SUNYAC Championship this academic year.

The Ephs, who have been led by head coach Anik Cepeda and assistant Andrew Dorr, defeated then-No. 16 Swarthmore and No. 18 Case Western Reserve by the identical score of 5-2 on March 28 and 21, respectively. First-year Ayanna Varma has been outstanding this season, as she has compiled a 14-4 mark in singles this semester, including going 5-2 at the second position. Junior Julia Zhang has recorded a 12-5 mark in singles, including a tremendous 9-1 mark at the third slot. She has also been exceptional in doubles competition, compiling a 9-5 record, featuring a 4-2 record at the No. 1 position and a 4-1 effort at the second slot.

Senior captain Jane Ladaga and sophomore Ellie Stark have compiled records of 10-4 and 7-4, respectively, in singles action, while junior Ahn Lin and first-year Katelyn Wu have gone 10-6 and 7-3, respectively, in doubles competition. Senior captain Mia Thomann has won six singles matches and six doubles matches, including a trio at the No. 1 singles position. Sophomore Mia Roets has emerged victorious at the No. 1 doubles position on four occasions. Junior Margaux Molyneux and first-year Zoe Yao have each won a trio of singles matches.