SHARKS NIP SAINTS IN LENGTHY TENNIS BATTLE
BOSTON, Mass – The Emmanuel Women’s Tennis Team gave Simmons College its toughest match in recent years, battling for over four hours, before falling in a 6-3 decision. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match was played under the lights at the Winsor School Courts on Friday night. The defending GNAC Champion Sharks took two of three doubles matches and four of the six singles contests, as they improved to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in GNAC play. The Saints fell to 6-5 on the season and were handed their first conference loss, dropping to 3-1 in the league.
BOSTON, Mass – The Emmanuel Women's Tennis Team gave Simmons College its toughest match in recent years, battling for over four hours, before falling in a 6-3 decision. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match was played under the lights at the Winsor School Courts on Friday night. The defending GNAC Champion Sharks took two of three doubles matches and four of the six singles contests, as they improved to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in GNAC play. The Saints fell to 6-5 on the season and were handed their first conference loss, dropping to 3-1 in the league.
Simmons pulled off 8-2 decisions at first and second doubles, as Margaret Teague and Meghan Cokely defeated Emmanuel's Alex Hadlock and Amanda Woznicki and Kristi Mielbye teamed up with Caroline Khory for a win over Jenny Konecnik and Katrina Gaddis. The Saints earned a hard-fought doubles point in the second slot, as Jenna Reid and Jenni Hewes edged out Sabrina Salmela and Rachel Downey, 9-8 with a 13-0 tie break win.
With the Sharks holding a 2-1 lead after doubles action, Emmanuel was able to squeak out two more points in singles matches. Hewes played great under pressure and picked up her second win of the night, topping Katie Crowley, 7-6 and 6-4, in the No. 5 position. Hadlock took Teague three sets in the No. 1 spot, before falling, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Mielbye had to struggle to get past Emmanuel rookie Daniela Tueme in 6th singles, 7-6, 6-3. Salmela and Cokely rolled to straight-set wins over Woznicki and Ried in the 2nd and 3rd slots, respectively.
With the match already decided, as Emmanuel trailed 5-3 and the contest entered its fifth hour of play, it was determined that if the No. 4 singles match went three sets, the third set would be replaced by a 10-point tie-breaker. Thus, when Rachel Sweeney took the first set, 7-6, and Konecnik won the second by the same score, the two entered the tie-breaker situation. The win-by-two scenario went well longer than expected, before Sweeney stole the match with a 17-15 win.
Emmanuel is forced to recover quickly, as the Saints must face Emerson College in another GNAC battle on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 PM. The match will be hosted by the Lions at the Victory Field Courts in Watertown, Mass.