BOSTON, Mass. -- Senior Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.) battled to a victory at second singles to lead the Simmons University women's tennis team in an 8-1 loss to visiting Colby-Sawyer College today on Daly Courts in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 2-8 overall and 0-4 in league play, while the Chargers improve to 6-2 and a perfect 5-0 in GNAC action.
The Sharks lone win of the day came at second singles with Rios earning a 7-5, 6-3 decision over Colby-Sawyer senior Maddy Gemerek (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) in the day's final match.
Sophomore Yashu Yang (Kunming City, China) was a double-winner with victories at first singles and doubles to lead the Chargers. Yang did not drop a game for the entire match, combining with first year Anna Kopituk (Morristown, Tenn.) for an 8-0 win at first doubles for Colby-Sawyer over the Simmons junior tandem of Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/St. Joseph Prep. (Mass.)) and Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.). Yang dominated at singles play as well with a 6-0, 6-0 effort over Nguyen at number one. Kopituk dropped just one game at fourth singles to pick up a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Sharks first year Sarah Mariski (Portland, Maine).
The Chargers picked up an 8-1 win at second doubles behind Gemerek and senior Aislinn O'Connor (New Fairfield, Conn.) over the Simmons senior pairing of Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.) and Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine). O'Connor earned the deciding point for Colby-Sawyer at third singles with a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Medici to give the visitors a 5-0 lead.
Senior Michelle Lopes (West Hartford, Conn.) and junior Alexa Conlin (Westborough, Mass.) teamed for an 8-1 victory at number three doubles for the Chargers over the Sharks first year duo of Mariski and Megan McKeever (Stamford, Conn.). Both Lopes and Conlin earned singles wins as well. Conlin cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at fifth singles over McKeever, while Lopes did not surrender a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at sixth singles over Simmons sophomore Carrie St. Peter (Chester, N.H.).
Simmons returns to action on Saturday, October 6 when it heads to West Hartford, Conn. to take on GNAC foe University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 12:00 p.m., while Colby-Sawyer hosts Regis (Mass.) on the same day at 1:00 p.m.