BABSON PARK, Mass. – The number six seed Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team was defeated by host No. 15 and third-seeded Babson College, 4-0, this afternoon in the opening round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Babson Tennis Courts in Babson Park, Mass.
The Lyons end their season at 6-12, while the Beavers have won four of their last five matches and improve to 13-5. Babson advances to the NEWMAC Semifinals and will travel to Wellesley, Mass. on May 3 to take on number two seed Wellesley College at 12:00 p.m.
The dual match was played to decision. The Beavers won the first two doubles matches of the day to earn the first point of the match. Babson junior Grace Starcher (Morristown, N.J.) and sophomore Riya Matharoo (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) combined for a 6-2 win at third doubles over Wheaton sophomore Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) and first year Maya Brennan (Valatie, N.Y.). The pairing of sophomore Dana Kamal (Cairo, Egypt) and first year Mia Sorrentino (Miami, Fla.) earned a 6-3 decision at number two doubles over the Lyon sophomore duo of Laila Haraj-Sai (Manchester, Conn.) and Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda) to clinch the doubles point for the home team. Sophomore Chaniel Soffer (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and first year Alessandra Cristiani (San Salvador, El Salvador) owned a 5-2 lead for the Beavers at number one doubles over Wheaton's junior tandem of Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) and Alissa Ortiz (El Paso, Texas), before the match was halted once the doubles point was decided by the result of the other two matches.
Babson took a 2-0 lead in the match after Cristiani turned in a 6-0, 6-2 win over Greenlee at number one singles. Starcher pulled the Beavers within a point of winning the match with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at sixth singles over Brennan. Soffer cruised at second singles without dropping a game in a 6-0, 6-0 showing over Haraj-Sai to clinch the win for Babson.
The Beavers led the other three matches that were left unfinished. Matharoo won the opening set against Taylor, before the match was halted at number five, while Kamal claimed the first set at number four singles and led the second frame, 2-0, against Hollis. Junior Kamila Stasiowska (Burlington, Conn.) posted a 6-2 first set win at third singles over Ortiz and led 5-0 in the second set, before play was stopped.
