BOSTON, Mass. – First year Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) was a double-winner to lead the Simmons College women's tennis team to a 5-4 victory over visiting Suffolk University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference dual match this afternoon at Daly Courts in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks win their second straight match to improve to 2-4 overall and 2-0 in league play, while the Rams fall to 1-6 and 0-1.
The victory marks the 60th consecutive regular-season win for Simmons over a conference opponent.
Johnson combined with first year Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/St. Joseph Prep (Mass.)) for an 8-5 victory at second doubles for the Sharks over sophomore Elena Cisneros Garcia (Barcelona, Spain/Brookline, Mass HS)) and junior Johanna Sitahal (Port of Spain, Trinidad) to give the home team a 2-1 edge after doubles play. Johnson dominated at third singles with a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Suffolk junior Isabel Rathlev (Wellesley, Mass.) to keep Simmons in front at 3-2 with her first collegiate singles win.
Junior Valentina Medina (San Andrés, Colombia) pulled the visitors even at 3-3 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at number one singles over Sharks' first year Jessica Schroedl (Staatsburg, N.Y.).
Simmons won the next two matches in singles play to decide the contest. Sophomore Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine)reclaimed the lead for Simmons at 4-3 with a 6-1, 6-0 effort at sixth singles over junior Jacquelyn Nakamura (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.). First year Mai Driesen (Fayetteville, N.Y.) clinched the dual match for the Sharks following a 6-2, 6-4 decision at number five singles over Suffolk first year Danlyn Medou (Inglewood, Calif.) to give the home team a 5-3 lead.
Valentina paired with senior Aidiana Sagyndykova (Almaty, Kazakstahn) to earn an 8-1 victory in pro-set form over Driesen and Schroedl to open the scoring. Junior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) and junior Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.)combined to register Simmons' first point in doubles action with an 8-5 win at number three over Rathlev and first year Christina Texidor (Miami, Fla.).
Sagyndykova joined Valentina as a double-winner for the Rams with a convincing 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles over Nguyen, while Cisneros Garcia closed out the dual match for Suffolk with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 win at fourth singles over Lakes.
The Sharks return to action this weekend when they compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championship Tournament hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. from September 23-25, while the Rams host Wentworth Institute of Technology on September 22 at 6:00 p.m.