BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) was a double-winner with victories at number two singles and first doubles to lead the Simmons University women's tennis team over visiting University of Massachusetts Boston, 8-1, today at Daly Courts in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks improve to 2-6 on the season, while the Beacons fall to 0-4.
Simmons swept doubles play to take a 3-0 lead in the dual match. Johnson teamed with classmate Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/St. Joseph Prep. (Mass.)) to earn an 8-4 win at number one doubles over the UMB junior pair of Katie Gauthier (West Boylston, Mass.) and Valeria Tueme (Bonney Lake, Wash.) to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead. Johnson later cruised to a 6-1 first set win over Tueme at second singles, before battling to a 7-5 second set triumph to earn the win and give the home team a 6-0 lead.
The Simmons senior duo of Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.) and Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine) dropped just one game in an 8-1 decision at second doubles over the UMass Boston first year combo of Meaghan Moriarty (Norton, Mass.) and Chloe Gates (Plymouth, Mass.) The pair of Sharks also gained respective wins in singles play. Rios defeated Moriarty at third singles, 6-3, 6-4, while Medici breezed by Gates at fourth singles, 6-0, 6-1.
Simmons won at third doubles behind the play of first year tandem Sarah Mariski (Portland, Maine) and Megan McKeever (Stamford, Conn.), who earned an 8-4 win over the Beacons team of junior Fatema Abdoo (Springfield, Mass.) and first year Leah Bosco (Greenfield, Mass.). Mariski won in straight sets as one of four double-winners for the Sharks and clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-3 effort at fifth singles over Abdoo.
Sophomore Carrie St. Peter (Chester, N.H.) picked up her first collegiate singles win for Simmons with a 6-0, 6-3 showing over Bosco. Gauthier picked up the lone point for UMass Boston with a three-set victory over Nguyen. Gauthier didn't drop a game in the opening set (6-0), before Nguyen sent the match into a third set following a 6-2 effort. Gauthier earned the victory with a 10-7 pro-set win in the third frame.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, September 29 when they travel to Providence, R.I. to take on Great Northeast Athletic Conference rival Johnson & Wales University at 5:45 p.m., while the Beacons host Worcester State University on the same day at 1:00 p.m.