Tennis Falls to #1 Amherst in NCAA Second Round

Simmons Tennis will face off with Colby-Sawyer College in Friday?s NCAA Division III Tournament, held at Amherst College. The Sharks earned an automatic bid to nationals after winning the 2009 Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament, and have won two of three spring season matches while training for the NCAA, including one 7-2 victory over Colby-Sawyer. AMHERST, MA ? Simmons Tennis earned a 5-0 win over Colby-Sawyer College Friday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Women?s Tennis Regional Championship First Round, which was held indoors at the Hampshire College Bay Road Tennis Club. The Chargers end their season at 17-6, while the Sharks improve to 15-7 and will take on regional host Amherst College Saturday at 1 p.m. AMHERST, MA ? Amherst College earned a 5-0 win over Simmons College Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Women?s Tennis Regional Championship Second Round. The Sharks end their season at 15-8, while the Lord Jeffs improve to 18-2 and will host either Middlebury or Bowdoin College Sunday at 1 p.m. in the regional finals.
Posted: May 15, 2010

AMHERST, MA – Amherst College earned a 5-0 win over Simmons College Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Regional Championship Second Round. The Sharks end their season at 15-8, while the Lord Jeffs improve to 18-2 and will host either Middlebury or Bowdoin College Sunday at 1 p.m. in the regional finals.

Carlissa King '11 and Caroline Richman '13 put Amherst on the board with an 8-0 win over Athena Lynch '12 and Liza Pope '12 in the third doubles match. Jill Wexler '10 and Natasha Brown '11 soon followed by defeating Melissa Keroack '13 and Maggie Taylor '12 by a score of 8-1 at No. 3, and the Lord Jeffs' top pair of Brittany Berckes '10 and Laura Danzig '12 wrapped up the clean doubles sweep with an 8-3 win over Sabrina Salmela '13 and Maile Macleod '11.

Amherst used a pair of 6-0, 6-0 victories in singles play to secure its spot in Sunday's regional finals. After Wexler took care of Taylor at No. 4, Laken King '11 ended the match by defeating Keroack at No. 6. In the four remaining singles bouts, Amherst won the first set and was leading or tied in the second.

The Jeffs increased their winning streak to seven matches and improved to 35-18 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. They have advanced to the national quarterfinals in 14 of the past 15 years. In addition to qualifying for their third NCAA Regional Championship, the Sharks end their season as champions of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

Amherst College def. Simmons College, 5-0
NCAA Regional Championship Second Round
Saturday, May 15 * at Amherst College

DOUBLES

  1. Brittany Berckes/Laura Danzig (AMH) def. Sabrina Salmela/Maile Macleod (SIM) 8-3
  2. Jill Wexler/Natasha Brown (AMH) def. Melissa Keroack/Maggie Taylor (SIM) 8-1
  3. Carlissa King/Caroline Richman (AMH) def. Athena Lynch/Liza Pope (SIM) 8-0

SINGLES

  1. Brittany Berckes (AMH) leading Sabrina Salmela (SIM) 6-0, 1-1
  2. Laura Danzig (AMH) leading Maile Macleod (SIM) 6-0, 3-0
  3. Carlissa King (AMH) leading Katy Hallinan (SIM) 6-0, 4-1
  4. Jill Wexler (AMH) def. Maggie Taylor (SIM) 6-0, 6-0
  5. Natasha Brown (AMH) leading Liza Pope (SIM) 6-0, 1-1
  6. Laken King (AMH) def. Melissa Keroack (SIM) 6-0, 6-0
Scoreboard
  • Sat, 04/27 Women's Tennis vs. Lesley W, 7-2 (Final) RC | R
  • Wed, 04/24 Women's Tennis vs. Emerson L, 6-0 (Final) RC | R
  • Fri, 04/19 Women's Tennis vs. Husson L, 6-3 (Final) RC | R
  • Fri, 04/12 Women's Tennis vs. Bentley (Postponed)
  • Sat, 10/14 Women's Tennis vs. Regis (Mass.) L, 5-1 (Final) RC | R | PR