Williams Women's Tennis Advances to NCAA Quarters
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williams College women’s tennis team squared off against MIT in the NCAA Regional Finals on Sunday and swept doubles on its way to a 5-1 victory.
With the win today, the Ephs turn their sights to Stowe Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich., host to the NCAA quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the team competition May 23-25.
"We are so excited and honored to be heading back to the final eight again this year," said head coach Alison Swain following the victory.
Doubles team Julia Cancio and Hannah Atkinson secured the first win of the day, 8-1. Maya Hart and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio ollowed suit with an 8-1 win of their own.
The last doubles match to finish was a 9-7 battle between Williams' Juli Raventos and Linda Shin and MIT's Elysa Kohrs and Sonya Das. After falling behind 6-7, Raventos and Shin eventually came out on top, completing the doubles sweep for Williams.
MIT fought back in singles when Dora Zheng overcame Mia Gancayco, 6-3, 6-2. The first and only win on the day for MIT brought the overall score to 3-1.
Williams bounced back in No. 3 singles when Shin defeated her opponent, 7-5, 6-1, bringing the Ephs within one win of clinching. Cancio ended it with a win in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
Williams boasts a 74-14 record overall in NCAA play, now making its 23rd straight appearance in the tournament, nine of which have come under Swain. Their nine NCAA titles leads the division.
The Ephs are 20-3 on the season, riding a seven-match winning streak into the quarterfinals on May 23.
SOFTBALL
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — M.I.T. senior Lexi Marshall pitched a complete-game nine-hitter Sunday — stranding eight Williams runners in the final three innings ‚ as the Engineers held on to defeat the Ephs in the seventh and final game of the 2016 NCAA Division III Williamstown Regional.
For the first time in program history, the Engineers (31-12) won an NCAA regional title and have advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round as MIT will face-off against New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference foe WPI next weekend in a best two out of three series.
Williams saw a record-breaking season come to a close with a 35-11 mark, the 35 wins the most in a single-season, breaking the school record of the 2004 and 2015 teams.
Williams came into Sunday needing to defeat M.I.T. twice and won the first game 4-1 to force the seventh and final game. Williams freshman Mackenzie Murphy hit a two-run home run off Marshall in the first and hurled a complete-game 10-hitter. Jessica Kim also homered.
