WORCESTER, Mass. — Seniors Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) and Alissa Ortiz (El Paso, Texas) and junior Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.) were all double-winners to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team to a convincing 7-0 victory over host Clark University (Mass.) this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Carash Tennis Courts in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons have won five of their last six matches and improve to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 5-5 and 0-2.
Wheaton swept through singles play, winning all six matches in the dual match and took two of three doubles contests to earn the doubles point.
Greenlee and Ortiz combined for an easy 6-1 victory over Clark junior Varvara Maltseva (Tres Cantos, Mass.) and first year Marcela Gonyea (Vienna, Va.) at number one doubles. Haraj-Sai teamed with classmate Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda) to blank senior Merielle Kane (Vienna, Maine) and sophomore Larkin Gardinier (Medford, Mass.), 6-0, at second doubles.
Among the top five players in the Lyons' singles lineup for the day, not one player dropped more than three games in any of the 10 sets that were played. Greenlee did not lose a game in the opening set against Maltseva and took the second frame, 6-2, at first singles. Haraj-Sai was even better at number two singles, surrendering just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Gardinier. Ortiz was outstanding as well, defeating Gonyea at number three singles, 6-2, 6-1.
Wheaton junior Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) followed suit, cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 straight-set win over junior Olivia Shipley (Winchendon, Mass.) at fourth singles, while Lyon first year Amelie Robinson (Minneapolis, Minn.) made quick work of Kane at number five singles, 6-3, 6-1.
The lone singles match to go beyond two sets was played at the six spot. Wheaton first year Lydia Branson (Bowdoin, Maine) succumbed to sophomore Amanda Keith (Brookfield, Conn.) in the opening frame, 6-2, before rebounding with a 6-2 decision of her own in the second set to even the match. Branson fed off the momentum for a 10-6 third-set tie-breaker to take the match for the Lyons.
The Cougars recorded a doubles win at number three behind the duo of Shipley and sophomore Elena Zkakov (Maastricht, Netherlands), which toppled the Wheaton tandem of Wilson and junior Isabella Cottrell (Melrose, Mass.), 6-2.
The Lyons return to the courts on Saturday, March 28 when they head to Springfield, Mass. to play NEWMAC foe Springfield College at 12:00 p.m., while Clark host league rival Smith College on the same day at 11:00 a.m.
