CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Simmons College women's tennis team was defeated by visiting Wheaton College, 9-0, this afternoon at Harvard University's Beren Tennis Center in Cambridge, Mass. The Lyons improve to 2-2 on the season, while the Sharks fall to 1-4.
Wheaton did not drop a set during the match.
Senior Izzy Gorham (Durham, N.H.) and junior Amanda Brazell (Las Vegas, Nev.) combined at number one doubles to hand the Simmons pair of junior Theresa Reinhard (Canton, Ohio) (2-1 singles, 4-1 doubles) and senior Meg Cokely (Haverhill, Mass.) (3-1 singles, 4-1 doubles) its first loss of the season with an 8-5 decision in pro-set format. The Lyons' senior duo of Stassy Furber (Montpelier, Vt.) and Caroline Stanclift (Camden, Maine) turned in an 8-5 victory over the Sharks pair of junior Rachael Downey (Groveland, Mass.) (1-4 singles, 1-4 doubles) and Ashley Chen (Hilo, Hawaii) (1-4 singles, 1-4 doubles) at second doubles. Wheaton also recorded a victory at number three doubles, courtesy of an 8-4 effort put together by senior Caroline DiNicola-Fawley (Brattleboro, Vt.) and first year Connor O'Keefe (Lutz, Fla.) over Simmons' duo of senior Katie Crowley (Reading, Mass.) (1-3 singles, 1-3 doubles) and sophomore Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.) (0-2 singles, 1-4 doubles).
Brazell won in straight sets for the Lyons, 6-4, 6-3, at number one singles over Crowley, while Gorham bested Downey, 7-5, 6-1, at second singles for Wheaton. DiNicola-Fawley posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory for the Lyons over Chen at number three singles and Wheaton's Furber trumped Matthews at fourth singles, 6-0, 6-4. Stanclift defeated Sharks' sophomore Winnie Yee (South San Francisco, Calif.) (0-1 singles) at number five, 6-2, 6-1, while sixth singles went to O'Keefe as she dropped just one game to Simmons first year Laura Plaza (Mexico City, Mexico/The Woodlands HS (Texas)) (0-2 singles) in a 6-1, 6-0 win.
The Sharks return to the courts on Saturday, September 19, taking on Great Northeast Athletic Conference rival Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass. at 3:00 p.m., while the Lyons host Smith College on the same day at 1:00 p.m.