Wheaton College (MA)

WELLESLEY, Mass. - The sixth-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) women's tennis team showed tremendous grit and determination as they took on host number three seed Wellesley College in the first round of the 2026 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship tournament. The Blue came out on top 4-0 to advance to the next round.

Wheaton finished the season at 9-11 overall and 3-6 in the NEWMAC, while Wellesley improved to 13-5 overall and 6-2 in the NEWMAC.  

Wellesley took the doubles point with wins in the number two and number three matches. Junior Kriti Sarav (Chicago, Ill.) and first-year Luna Bian (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) won at number two against junior Laila Haraj-Sai (Madison, Conn.) and Asia-Leigh Hollis (Hamilton, Bermuda), 6-1. At number three, Blue sophomores Rianna Mariotti (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and Nandini Patel (Phoenix, Ariz.) earned the win over junior Taylor Wilson (Dover, N.H.) and first-year Amelie Robinson (Minneapolis, Minn.), 6-1. 

The number one doubles match was halted after the point was clinched by the hosts. Seniors Kara Greenlee (San Antonio, Texas) and Alissa Ortiz (El Paso, Texas) kept the score close with senior Emilee Pak (Chicago, Ill.) and junior Suzanne Xu (Boyds, Md.) and trailed, 3-4, when the match was left unfinished.

Patel was the first to finish in the singles as she took down Ortiz in straight-sets at number three. Ortiz was held up in the first as she fell, 6-0, but managed to fight back for a pair of points in the second set as she fell, 6-2. 

Hollis suffered a similar fate as she fell, 6-0, in the first set of the number four singles match against Bian. Hollis won the first point of the second set, but ultimately fell, 6-3, after a back and forth frame. 

With Wellesley on the verge, it needed only one more win in the singles to advance to the second round against Babson College. Robinson was the unlucky foe of junior Dalia Khera (Houston, Texas), but managed to keep things close in the first set. The closely contested opening frame went Khera's way as she won, 6-3, and the momentum stayed on her side as she won the second set to clinch victory for the Blue.

Wellesley will take on second-seeded Babson in Babson Park on Saturday, May 2 at 12:00 p.m. for the semifinal round of the 2026 NEWMAC Women's Tennis Championship Tournament.