BOSTON, Mass. - Sophomores Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) and Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) were double-winners to lead the Simmons College women's tennis team over host Suffolk University, 6-3, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference dual match today on Daly Courts in Brighton, Mass. The match began in North Reading, Mass. at North Reading High School on Saturday, October 14, but was moved to Daly Courts later that day, only to be suspended due to rain with the Sharks holding a 1-0 lead. The match was completed today on Daly Courts. Simmons improves to 9-5 overall and 4-2 in league play, while the Rams fall to 7-6 and 3-3.
The win gives the Sharks the number three seed in the GNAC Championship Tournament and a home Quarterfinals match on Wednesday, October 18 vs. sixth-seeded Albertus Magnus College at 4:30 p.m. on Daly Courts, while fourth-seeded Suffolk hosts number five seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on the same day at 4:30 p.m. at North Reading High School.
Nguyen and Johnson combined for an 8-6 victory over junior Delaney Dunlap (Hingham, Mass.) and sophomore Keely Hardy (Charleston, S.C.) at second singles to give Simmons a 2-0 lead. Johnson later clinched the dual match win for the Sharks with a 6-2, 6-1 showing over Hardy at third singles, giving Simmons a 5-1 advantage. Nguyen closed out the match with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 triumph at second singles over junior Elena Cisneros Garcia (Barcelona, Spain).
Sophomore Jessica Schroedl (Staatsburg, N.Y.) and senior Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.) teamed for an 8-2 win at number one doubles over the Rams' pairing of Cisneros Garcia and senior Isabel Rathlev (Wellesley, Mass.) to notch the first point of the match. Suffolk tallied its only point in doubles action at number three with the duo of sophomore Danlyn Medou (Inglewood, Calif.) and first year Ahilya Malhourta (India) scoring an 8-6 decision over the Sharks' pair of first year Celia Speth (Deerfield, Mass.) and junior Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.) to cut the Rams' deficit to 2-1.
Speth and Rios both rebounded to earn 6-2, 6-1 wins in singles play for Simmons. Speth defeated junior Meagan French (Newton, N.H.) at fifth singles to improve to 10-4 on the season, followed by a victory at number six singles by Rios over senior Jacquelyn Nakamura (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) to improve her season singles play record to 8-3.
Dunlap and Malhourta registered wins in singles action for Suffolk. Malhourta overcame a 7-6 (4) first-set loss to Sharks junior Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine) to win the final two frames, 6-2, 11-9, before Dunlap outlasted Schroedl at number one singles, 7-5, 7-5.