BOSTON, Mass. – The Simmons College women's tennis team defeated visiting Anna Maria College, 8-1, this afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match on Daly Courts in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks have won six of their last seven matches and improve to 6-5 overall, including 5-1 in league play, while the AMCATS fall to 0-9 and 0-5.
Simmons boasted three double-winners on the day. Junior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) combined with first year Jessica Schroedl (Staatsburg, N.Y.) to earn an 8-1 decision over Anna Maria senior Jessica Guatieri (North Attleboro, Mass.) and first year Johanna Dean (Carrollton, Texas) at number one singles. Lakes won at number four singles as well without dropping a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win over senior Marissa Leonard (Billerica, Mass.). First year Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) and junior Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.) won at second doubles for the Sharks with a tally of 8-1 over Leonard and senior Laura Cabral, before Matthews won the deciding point of the dual match with a 6-0, 6-0 showing at sixth singles over first year Sophia Wackell (Millbury, Mass.). Johnson was also a double-winner with a 6-1, 6-0 triumph at number three singles over Cabral.
Simmons first year duo Casey Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) and Grace Hylan (Brooklin, Maine) combined to earn an 8-4 victory at third doubles over sophomore Casey Lacasse and Wackell.
First year Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) was the victor at second singles for the Sharks after taking a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Dean. First year Mai Driesen (Fayetteville, N.Y.) also scored a win in singles action for Simmons with a 6-0, 6-0 effort at number five singles over Lacasse.
Gautieri notched the lone point for the AMCATS, coming back from a 6-3 first set loss to Schroedl to rally for a 6-2 second set tally, before closing out the match with a 10-5 super-tiebreaker in the third and final frame.
The Sharks will be in action again on Friday, October 14 when they travel to Northampton, Mass. to compete at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament hosted by Smith College, while Anna Maria heads to nearby Worcester, Mass. to play Worcester State University on October 13 at 3:30 p.m.