NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team was defeated by visiting Brandeis University, 8-1, this afternoon at Beard Field House on the campus of Wheaton in Norton, Mass. The Lyons fall to 2-3 on the season, while the Judges improve to 2-4.

Senior Miriam Galindo Cerrada (Madrid, Spain) came back to defeat senior Ana Hatfield (Rockford, Ill.) at number one singles after dropping the first set, 6-1. The senior forced a third frame after winning the middle set, 6-4, and outlasted Hatfield, 10-8, in the final set to give Wheaton their only point in the match.

Sophomore Jiayi Zhang (Shanghai, China) was a double-winner to lead Brandeis.

Brandeis began the match with a 2-0 lead before a serve was struck due to Wheaton needing to forfeit matches at third doubles and sixth singles due illness and injury.

First year Bhakti Parwani (Ahmedabad, India) and Zhang combined for an easy 8-2 victory at number one doubles over the Wheaton duo of Galindo Cerrada and sophomore Mareike Mueller (Amesbury, Mass.). The senior pair of Olivia Howe (Cary, N.C.) and Summer Quinn (Los Angeles, Calif.) gave the Judges a 3-0 lead with an 8-4 win at second doubles over their host counterparts, senior Alexis Acosta (Albuquerque, N.M.) and first year Izzy Kruse (Woodstock, Ga.). 

Brandeis did not drop a game at third and fifth singles. Zhang cruised over Mueller at number three to clinch the dual match for the Judges, while Quinn blanked Lyons' sophomore Zoe West (Flushing, N.Y.) at number five.

Howe dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win at fourth singles for Brandeis over Kruse, while first year Cecilia Denis (Ardmore, Pa.) battled past Acosta at second singles with a 6-2, 6-4 decision. 

The Lyons will be in action again on Tuesday, March 15 when they take on Hope International University at 12:00 p.m. PST in Fullerton, Calif., while Brandeis hosts Bentley University on March 11 at 3:00 p.m.