PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The sixth-seeded Simmons University women's tennis team was defeated by host number three seed Johnson & Wales University, 5-0, this afternoon in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament on the campus of Rhode Island College in Providence, R.I. The loss dips the Sharks to 4-10 on the season and marks the first time since 2004 that they will not compete in the GNAC Championship match, while the Wildcats improve to 11-4 and advance to face number two seed Eastern Nazarene College on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The match will be played at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center. Simmons will resume its season during the spring.
Johnson & Wales swept doubles action to take a 3-0 lead. The JWU pair of first year Drew Bobey (Charleston, S.C.) and sophomore Claire Parry (Westport, Conn.) combined to drop just one game in an 8-1 victory at number one over the Sharks junior duo of Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) and Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.). Senior Lauren Torre (New Fairfield, Conn.) and sophomore Katherine Ledesma (Coral Springs, Fla.) teamed to earn an 8-3 triumph at third doubles over the Simmons first year pairing of Sarah Mariski (Portland, Maine) and Megan McKeever (Stamford, Conn.) to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Johnson & Wales completed the sweep with an 8-3 win at second doubles behind the duo of senior Delaney Macchirole (Greenport, N.Y.) and first year Kourtney Moore (Roswell, Ga.) over the Sharks senior tandem of Paola Rios (Miami, Fla.) and Michelle Medici (South Portland, Maine).
Moore extended the Wildcats' advantage to 4-0 following a 6-1, 6-0 victory at fourth singles over Medici. Parry clinched the dual match win with a 6-1, 6-2 effort at first singles over Nguyen.