RIVERSIDE, R.I. - The Simmons College women's tennis team was beaten by host Johnson & Wales University this afternoon, 9-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference dual match at Centre Court in Riverside, R.I. The regular-season loss is the first for the Sharks vs. a GNAC opponent since October 13, 2007 when they fell to Suffolk University and snaps a streak of 60 regular-season conference wins and 76 consecutive victories, including post-season play, over league opponents.
Simmons falls to 3-5 overall and 2-1 in league play, while the Wildcats improve to a perfect 8-0 and 3-0.
Johnson & Wales swept doubles play to take a 3-0 lead. First year Nina Cohen (Guatemala City, Guatemala) paired with sophomore Delaney Macchirole (Greenport, N.Y.) to put the home team on the board with an 8-0 victory in pro-set form at number two doubles over the Sharks' first year duo of Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) and Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.). The first year combination of Madison Hernandez (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Holly Olson (Mukwonago, Wisc.) earned an 8-4 win at third doubles over Simmons sophomore Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine) and junior Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.) to take a 2-0 lead. Senior Morgan Thompson (Fargo, N.D.) and Luiza Silva Simoes (Cuiaba, Brazil) closed out doubles play at number one with an 8-5 triumph over first year Jessica Schroedl (Staatsburg, N.Y.) and junior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) for the Sharks.
Cohen increased the Wildcats' cushion to 4-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 decision at second singles over Nguyen, before Silva Simoes won the deciding match at number three singles over Johnson, 6-1, 6-2 for a 5-0 lead.
Junior Taylor Klein (Johnson, N.Y.) won at fourth singles over Simmons' Lakes, 6-0, 6-2, while sophomore Lauren Torre (New Fairfield, Conn.) scored a 6-1, 6-1 victory at number five singles for Johnson & Wales over first year Mai Driesen (Fayetteville, N.Y.) for a 7-0 advantage. Thompson battled to a 6-1, 6-4 win at first singles over Schroedl for the Wildcats' eighth point and first year Ashley Hartford (Howell, Mich.) closed out the match for Johnson & Wales with a 6-4, 6-1 over Medici at number six singles.
The Sharks will be in action again on Friday, October 7 when they host GNAC foe Mount Ida College for a 5:00 p.m. match on Daly Courts, while the Wildcats travel to take on Suffolk University on October 8 at 3:00 p.m.