NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) trio of junior Maya Brennan (Valatie, N.Y.) and first years Maya Huerta (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) and Taylor Shanefelter (Champion, Pa.) fell in the D Draw Finals on the second day of the New England Women's Tennis Tournament hosted at Smith College's Outdoor Tennis Courts in Northampton, Mass.
Each round of the tournament consists of two singles matches and a doubles match between two different schools. The winner of two of three matches advances to the next round.
Brennan, Huerta and Shanefelter defeated Emerson College graduate student Jayden Beverly (Dupont, Wash.) and senior Kendi Bispham (Tortola, British Virgin Islands), 3-0, to advance to the Championship round. Brennan and Huerta combined for a 6-3 doubles win over Beverly and Bispham, before the Lyons won both singles matches. Brennan won in straight sets over Beverly, 6-2, 7-5. Shanefelter cruised past Bispham in the other singles contest, 6-2, 6-2.
The Gordon College pairing of Gordon senior Amanda Kim (Andover, Mass.) and junior Makayla Otey (Greer, S.C.) defeated the Wheaton trio, 2-1, in the title round. Huerta and Shanefelter were toppled by Kim and Otey in doubles action, 6-4. Huerta pulled the Lyons even with a 6-3, 6-3 singles win over Kim, but Otey exacted revenge and gave the Fighting Scots the D Draw crown with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Brennan.
Wheaton captured the D Draw Consolation Championship behind senior Isabella Cottrell (Melrose, Mass.) and sophomores Lydia Branson (Bowdoin, Maine) and Lily Runyan (New Milford, Conn.) with a pair of 2-1 triumphs. Cottrell and Runyan came together for a 6-3 doubles win over Emerson junior Abigail Miner (San Diego, Calif.) and first year Rachael Pantaleoni (Austin, Texas). Cottrell propelled the Lyons into the next round after battling to a three-set win over Miner. Cottrell dropped the opening set, 6-2, before rebounding for a 6-2 middle set win and a 10-8 victory in the third frame. Brennan fell to Pantaleoni, 6-2, 6-2.
Wheaton earned the consolation crown against Gordon. Cottrell and Branson were tripped up in doubles play, 6-2, by juniors Katherine Kim (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) and Gianna Hallam (Williamsville, N.Y.). The Lyons overcame the 1-0 deficit with a pair of singles victories. Runyan dominated Hallam in the first set, 6-0, before taking the second frame, 6-4. Brennan needed three sets to secure the championship for Wheaton. She breezed through the opening frame against first year Taite Dalberg (Zionsville, Ind.), 6-2, before succumbing in the second set, 7-5. Brennan regrouped to win the final frame, 10-7.
The Lyons made a bid to advance to the C Draw Championship round as well, but were taken down, 2-1, by Wellesley College. The senior Wheaton trio of Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.), Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda) and Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) batted the Blue's senior duo of Dalia Khera (Houston, Texas) and Veda Madhusudan (Short Hills, N.J.). Haraj-Sai and Hollis surrendered a 6-4 result to Khera and Madhusudan. Haraj-Sai got the point back with a three-set, 6-4, 2-6, 10-7, win over Madhusudan, but Khera defeated Wilson, 6-1, 6-1 for Wellesley.
The Lyons return to the courts in early March to continue their season in the spring.
