NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Sophomores Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine) and Laura Plaza (Mexico City, Mexico/The Woodlands HS (Texas)) were both double-winners for the Simmons College women's tennis team in a 6-3 loss to host Smith College this afternoon in Northampton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 7-7 on the season, while the Pioneers improve to 4-6.

Medici teamed with Plaza to earn an 8-3 victory at number three doubles over Smith senior Christine Yee (South San Francisco, Calif. and first year Evie Hoffman (Pittsboro, N.C.). Medici won in straight sets at fifth singles over first year Kara Van Allen (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 6-1, 6-3. Plaza's victory at number six singles went the distance, as she won the opening set over Pioneers first year Emma Essenmacher (Delran, N.J.), 6-4, before dropping the middle set, 6-1. She won the deciding set 10-6 in pro-set form.

Smith won the first two doubles matches of the day with sophomore Noa Dubin (Southampton, N.Y.) and senior Margaret Anne Smith (Spring Lake, N.J.) combining for an 8-2 triumph at first doubles over the Simmons first year pair of Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) and Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)). Van Allen and Essenmacher gave the Pioneers a 2-0 dual match lead with an 8-4 showing over Sharks junior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) and sophomore Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.). 

Dubin breezed by Nguyen at first singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win for Smith, before Yee dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 effort over Rios at fourth singles to give the home team a 4-1 lead. Smith won the deciding match for the Pioneers, defeating Johnson, 6-1, 6-0 at number two singles. Morgan Barney also won in singles play for the Pioneers, earning a 6-3, 6-1 victory at third singles over Lakes.

Simmons will be in action again on Saturday, April 8 when it travels to Norton, Mass. to take on Wheaton College, while Smith heads to Weston, Mass. on March 25 to play Regis College at 1:00 p.m.