NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team was defeated by visiting Smith College, 8-1, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Clark Tennis Courts on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons finish their season at 9-9 overall and 3-6 in league play, while the Pioneers have won five of their last six and improve to 11-5 and 6-3.

Smith advances to the NEWMAC Championship Tournament as the number four seed and will host fifth-seeded Mount Holyoke College on April 30 in the tournament first round. 

Smith won all three doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead heading into singles play, where the Pioneers took five of six to secure the dual match.

Wheaton junior Izzy Kruse (Woodstock, Ga.) picked up the only point of the day for the home team, winning in straight sets by a count of 6-2, 6-1 over sophomore Dayana Caluna (Plainfield, N.J.).

The Pioneers' junior pairing of twin sisters, Clara Goshgarian (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Lili Goshgarian (Lake Forest, Ill.) defeated Wheaton's sophomore tandem of Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) and Alissa Ortiz (El Paso, Texas) at number one doubles, 8-1. Sophomore Marielle Sauber (The Woodlands, Texas) combined with first year Ayla Hauser (Knoxville, Tenn.) at second doubles to earn an 8-2 win for Smith over the Lyons' combo of senior Mareike Mueller (Amesbury, Mass.) and first year Asia Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda). The Pioneers' first year duo of Aranne Jung (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Sabrina Wang (Beijing, China) put together an 8-2 triumph at number three doubles over Wheaton's first year pairing of Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.) and Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.). 

Hauser gave Smith a 4-0 lead after a 6-3, 6-1 win at number one singles over Mueller, but the Lyons cut the deficit to 4-1 with a victory at sixth singles.

The Pioneers captured dual-match point when Lili Goshgarian defeated Haraj-Sai at number three singles, 6-1, 6-2.

Jung dropped just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win at fourth singles for Smith over Wilson, before Clara Goshgarian hung on in both sets for a 6-4, 6-4 triumph at second singles over Greenlee. 

Wang capped the match for the Pioneers with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 win at number five singles over Hollis.