NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) boasted two trios that advanced to the next round 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.
The Lyon senior trio of Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.), Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda) and Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) won two of three matches over their Springfield College opponents, senior Natalia Peyón (Discovery Bay, Hong Kong) and junior Ava Shea (Belchertown, Mass.) in the C Draw. The Wheaton trio of junior Maya Brennan (Valatie, N.Y.) and first years Maya Huerta (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) and Taylor Shanefelter (Champion, Pa.) did not drop a match in their sweep of the Springfield duo of sophomores Elizabeth Houdelette (Marion, Mass.) and Anya Koshy (Goffstown, N.H.) in the D Draw.
Haraj-Sai and Wilson were defeated in doubles action, 6-3, by Peyón and Shea. The Lyons rebounded to win both singles contests to advance to the next round. Haraj-Sai dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Peyón, while Hollis battled back from a 6-2 first set loss to Shea with a dominant showing in the next two frames, winning 6-1, 10-1.
Brennan and Shanefelter posted a 6-2 victory in doubles play over Houdelette and Koshy. Huerta surrendered just three games in a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Koshy and Shanefelter followed suit with a straight set win of her own over Houdelette, 6-4, 6-2.
Wheaton's third trio of senior Isabella Cottrell (Melrose, Mass.) and sophomores Lydia Branson (Bowdoin, Maine) and Lily Runyan (New Milford, Conn.) was defeated by the Emerson College pairing of senior Gianna Di-Reumante (McLean, Va.) and sophomore Anna Matsuura (Okinawa, Japan). Branson and Runyan fell in doubles action to Di-Reumante and Matsuura, 6-3. Both Cottrell and Runyan won a set during their respective singles matches, but each were ultimately upended. Cottrell won her first frame 7-6 (4) over Di-Reumante, before falling 6-0, 10-4. Runyan dropped the opening set to Matsuura, before coming back to take the middle set, 6-3. Matsuura won the final frame, 10-2.
The Lyons return to action tomorrow for the second day of the tournament at 9:00 a.m. Haraj-Sai, Hollis and Wilson will take on the Wellesley pair of seniors Veda Madhusudan (Short Hills, N.J.) and Dalia Khera (Houston, Texas). Brennan, Huerta and Shanefelter advance to play the Emerson tandem of graduate student Jayden Beverly (Dupont, Wash.) and senior Kendi Bispham (Tortola, British Virgin Islands). Branson, Cottrell and Runyan will continue in the consolation bracket against Emerson's junior Abigail Miner (San Diego, Calif.) and first year Rachael Pantaleoni (Austin, Texas).
