WINCHESTER, Mass. -- The fourth-seeded Simmons University women's tennis team was defeated by top-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 5-0, this afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament Semifinals at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center in Winchester, Mass. The Sharks fall to 8-8 on the season, while the Wildcats improve to 13-1. 

Johnson & Wales advances to tomorrow's Championship match in Winchester, taking on second-seeded Eastern Nazarene College, a 5-2 winner over number three seed Regis College, at 12:30 p.m.

JWU swept doubles play to take a 3-0 lead, before winning third and first singles to earn the five points in a dual-match that was played to decision. 

First year Emily Hill (Wilmington, Mass.) and sophomore Courtney Moore (Roswell, Ga.) did not drop a game in an 8-0 win at number two doubles over the Simmons sophomore pairing of Sarah Mariski (Portland, Maine) and Megan McKeever (Stamford, Conn.) to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Katherine Ledesma (Coral Springs, Fla.) and first year Sydney Constantinidi (North Branford, Conn.) combined at third doubles for an 8-3 triumph over the Sharks duo of junior Carrie St. Peter (Chester, N.H.) and first year Leah Bonis (Bath, Maine) for a 2-0 margin. The Wildcats completed the sweep of doubles action with an 8-3 win from junior Claire Parry (Westport, Conn.) and sophomore Drew Bobey (Charleston, S.C.) over Simmons senior number one doubles combo Nickie Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam/Saint Joseph Preparatory (Mass.)) and Marissa Johnson (Norwell, Mass.). 

Moore brought Johnson & Wales to within one win of the dual match victory with a straight-set 6-3, 6-3 victory over Bonis at third singles. Parry dropped just three games to clinch the match at first singles for the Wildcats with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Nguyen.

The Sharks return to action in the spring when they host Emerson College on Friday, April 10 at Daly Courts at 4:00 p.m.