HARTFORD, Conn. - The Simmons College women's tennis team opened the Great Northeast Athletic Conference slate with a 7-2 victory over host University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) this afternoon in Hartford, Conn. The Sharks improve to 1-4 overall and 1-0 in league play to extend their regular-season win streak over GNAC opponents to 59. The Blue Jays fall to 1-2, 0-1.
Simmons boasted four double-winners for the day.
Sharks' first year Jessica Schroedl (Staatsburg, N.Y.) combined with junior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) to earn an 8-5 victory over senior Rebecca Mauri (Meriden, Conn.) and sophomore Lucy Roberge (Willington, Conn.) at first doubles in pro-set format. Schroedl later added her first career singles win at the collegiate level with a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Mauri at number one singles to give Simmons a 4-0 dual match lead. Lakes followed with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph at fourth singles over sophomore Ashley Savino (Old Saybrook, Conn.) to clinch the match for the Sharks with the fifth point of the afternoon.
First year Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) was also a two-time winner for Simmons. She paired with classmate Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) for an 8-3 win at number two doubles over Savino and sophomore Sakinah Abdulsalam (Bristol, Conn.). The win was the first of any kind for the duo at the collegiate level. Nguyen played to a 6-4, 6-2 victory at number two singles over Roberge to increase the Sharks' advantage to 7-0.
Junior Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.) and sophomore Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine) opened the dual match with an 8-0 win at third doubles for Simmons over sophomore Leah Nguyen (West Hartford, Conn.) and first year Domonique Carnot (Meriden, Conn.). Matthews came back to take a 7-5, 6-2 victory at sixth singles over Nina Urso (Berlin, Conn.).
Junior Tara Smith (Palmer, Mass.) put the Blue Jays on the board with a hard-fought three-set win at fifth singles over Medici, winning the first set, 7-5, before Medici tied the match with a 6-4 decision. Smith clinched the match with an 8-6 win in a super tie-breaker. Abdulsalam closed out the dual match for Saint Joseph with a 6-1, 7-6 (7) win at number three singles over Johnson for the team's second point.
The Sharks return to the court on Tuesday, September 20 when they host conference foe Suffolk University for a 4:00 p.m. match at Daly Courts, while the Blue Jays head to Springfield, Mass. on September 22 to play Springfield College at 5:00 p.m.