Blue Tennis Tops Assumption to Open 2015-16 Season

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Wellesley College tennis earned its first win of the season in its opening match, cruising to a 9-0 victory over visiting Assumption College on Thursday evening at Wellesley's outdoor courts. 

The Blue surrendered only one set in the match, getting out to an early advantage over the Greyhounds as sophomore Emily Olson (La Jolla, Calif.) and first year Justine Huang (Coto de Caza, Calif.) defeated sophomore Cassie Burbine (Londonderry, N.H.) and junior Hannah Riley (Ellington, Conn.), 8-2, at #1 Doubles.

In the remaining doubles matches, Wellesley junior Andjela Stojkovic (Victoria, British Columbia) and first year Tristan Lorich (New York, N.Y.) defeated senior Marie Black (Palmyra, N.Y.) and first year Paige Benoit (Holden, Mass.), 8-2, at #2, while Blue junior Carina Chen (Hong Kong) teamed with first year So Jin Ki (Seoul, South Korea) to defeat junior Kristen Carbone (Taunton, Mass.) and senior Aubrey Lovejoy (Holden, Mass.), 8-3, at #3. 

In singles play, Riley was the only Assumption player to win a set, defeating Huang 7-5 in the opener at #2 Singles before dropping the final two sets by identical 6-1 scores to the Blue first year. Huang was one of three Wellesley first years to pick up their first collegiate victory on the evening, with Lorich earning a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Black at #5 Singles and Ki taking a 6-2, 6-4 win over sophomore Maggie Holland (Newburyport, Mass.) at #6 Singles. 

In the matchup of #1 Singles players, Stojkovic defeated Burbine by a 6-2, 6-3 count. Victories by Chen at #3 Singles (6-3, 6-1 over Benoit) and Olson at #4 Singles (6-1, 6-2 over Lovejoy) completed the sweep for the Blue.   

Wellesley travels to Smith for its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match of the season on Saturday at 1:00 PM. Assumption will return to the courts on Tuesday, September 8, when the Greyhounds play their first home match of the 2015-16 season versus Holy Cross.