NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis junior doubles team of Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.) and Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda) completed an undefeated run to finish as Co-Champions in the C Draw of the New England Women's Tennis Invitational Tournament hosted by Smith College and Amherst College today in Northampton, Mass. and Amherst, Mass., respectively.
The tournament consists of each player playing a singles match against the other team's duo and a doubles match, while advancing in a best of three situation at the Smith Outdoor Tennis Courts in Northampton, Mass.
Haraj-Sai and Hollis were set up to face Lyon senior teammates Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) and Alissa Ortiz (El Paso, Texas) in the bracket's championship pod and both pairs elected to share the NEWITT C Draw crown instead of playing against each other. The decision ensured that Haraj-Sai and Hollis would repeat as C Draw Champions after winning the same bracket in last year's NEWITT with an undefeated string of pod matches.
Both tandems won their first pods on the second day of the tournament.
Haraj-Sai and Hollis took on sophomores Tabitha Bastress (Shelburne, Vt.) and Isabel Benitez-Barron (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and senior Dayana Caluna (Plainfield, N.J.). Haraj-Sai downed Bastress, 8-3, while Hollis defeated Benitez-Barron, 8-1, in singles play. The Wheaton duo completed the sweep with a doubles win over Caluna and Bastress, 6-2.
Greenlee and Ortiz also won their first match of the day with a 3-0 sweep over Emerson College senior Carlson Jones (Cleveland, Ohio) and sophomore Abigail Miner (San Diego, Calif.). Greenlee cruised past Jones, 8-1, and Ortiz had little trouble in an 8-2 victory over Miner in singles play. Greenlee and Ortiz combined for a 6-1 triumph in doubles action over the Emerson combo to advance to the Flight 1 Semifinals of the C Draw.
Haraj-Sai and Hollis were the other semifinal match, taking on Gordon College juniors Chloe Hanley (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and Serena Ross (Boerne, Texas). The Lyon pair went undefeated again, winning all three matches to finish the tournament with a 10-2 match record and a perfect 4-0 mark in pod play. Haraj-Sai battled to a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hanley. Hollis also won in straight sets in a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 effort over Ross. The Wheaton duo closed out the pod with a 6-2 doubles in over Hanley and Ross.
Greenlee and Ortiz also played Hanley and Ross in their semifinal pod, but the Gordon pair won both singles matches to come away with a 2-1 pod win. Hanley downed Greenlee, 6-1, 6-4, while Ross came back for a three-set win over Ortiz. Ortiz won the opening frame for the Lyons, 6-4, but Ross came back to take the middle frame, 7-6 (7-3), before claiming the singles win with a 10-4 third set. Greenlee and Ortiz overcame Hanley and Ross, 6-3, in doubles action.
Wheaton's only D Draw entry of first years Lily Runyan (New Milford, Conn.) and Lydia Branson (Bowdoin, Maine) fell to Gordon junior Amanda Kim (Andover, Mass.) and sophomore Gianna Hallam (Williamsville, N.Y.), 3-0. Runyan was upended by Kim, 6-0, 6-2 and Branson was defeated by Hallam, 6-1, 6-2. Kim and Hallam turned in a 6-1 doubles triumph to complete a 3-0 sweep for Gordon.
The Lyons return to the courts on March 1 at Connecticut College to begin their spring season.
