NORTON, Mass. — Four players were double-winners for the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team in an 8-1 victory over visiting Colby-Sawyer College this afternoon in a dual match at Beard Field House on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 2-0 on the season for their best start since the 2013-14 season, while the Chargers fall to 0-2.
Due to time constraints, fourth, fifth and sixth singles were all played to four games a set instead of six.
Wheaton swept doubles play to take a 3-0 lead, before Colby-Sawyer took the first singles contest of the afternoon at number one to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Lyons won the remaining singles matches to earn the victory.
Sophomore Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) combined with senior Mareike Mueller (Amesbury, Mass.) for an 8-2 triumph at first doubles over the Chargers' pair of junior Grace Carpenter (Milford, N.H.) and first year Maria Espinosa Lopez (Merida, Mexico). Junior Izzy Kruse (Woodstock, Ga.) teamed with first year Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.) to earn an 8-3 win at second doubles over the Colby-Sawyer junior duo of Amelia Campanella (Chepachet, R.I.) and Elise Hogan (Duxbury, Mass.). Junior Zoe West (Flushing, N.Y.) and first year Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) closed out doubles play with an 8-1 decision over the Chargers' tandem of senior Mary Thoms (Northwood, N.H.) and sophomore Callie Valeri (New London, N.Y.).
Carpenter won at number one singles for Colby-Sawyer's only point of the day. She opened the match with a 6-2 first set win, but Mueller matched her with a 6-3 second set triumph. Carpenter held on with a 10-5 win the third-set super tie-breaker to take the match. Haraj-Sai had little trouble at number three singles, dropping just two games for Wheaton in a 6-1, 6-1 effort over Hogan to give the home team the winning fifth point. Greenlee set up the Lyons for the victory when she defeated Espinosa Lopez at second singles, 6-2, 6-4.
Kruse battled Campanella to a third-set victory at number four singles, dropping the opening set, 4-2, before rebounding with a 4-0 win in the second set and a 10-2 outcome in the final set. Taylor and first year Asia-Leigh Hollis both won in straight sets at fifth and sixth singles, respectively for Wheaton. Wilson downed Thoms, 4-0, 4-2 at number five, while Hollis dropped just one game in a 4-1, 4-0 showing at sixth singles over junior Mei Genest (Keene, H.H.) to record her first collegiate singles victory.
The Lyons return to action on Wednesday, September 13 when they host Simmons University at the Clark Tennis Courts for a 4:00 p.m. contest, while the Chargers head to Newport, R.I. on September 14 to take on Salve Regina University.
