SOUTH HADLEY, Mass.- The Wheaton College women's tennis team fell to host Mount Holyoke College in a rematch of last year's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament first-round contest, as the Lyons took a 5-4 loss in each team's league season opener on Saturday at the MHC Tennis Courts.

Both teams are now 2-1 overall, as Wheaton fell to Mount Holyoke for the first time in the last seven matches, dating back to the 2006 fall season.

Similar to yesterday's doubles results over Nichols College, the Lyons captured wins in the first and second slots.  At number two, juniors Morgan Bell (Gloucester, Mass./Pingree School) and Sarah Crom (Bremen, Germany/International School of Bremen) cruised to an 8-2 victory.

In the top spot, junior Lyndsay Cooke (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield Christian) and sophomore Alexandra Marlowe (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View) prevailed 9-7.  Mount Holyoke's lone doubles point came via an 8-5 victory at three.

Wheaton's Cooke and Marlowe gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage after their straight-set triumphs in the first and second singles positions, respectively.  Cooke surrendered just three games, while Marlowe gave up four.

Those points proved to the Lyons' last, however, as the hosts secured wins in the final four matches, including in the decisive fourth slot, which went three sets.  After falling 6-4 in the opening set, Crom responded with a 6-3 victory to force a third set, which she lost 6-0.

Wheaton will take the week off from competition and host Springfield College in a conference match next Saturday at 12:00 p.m.