Tennis Blanks Smith to Open NEWMAC Slate

SOUTHAMPTON, Mass. -- The Wellesley College tennis team opened their New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) season breezing to a 9-0 win over Smith on the road on Saturday afternoon. The Blue now stand 2-0 overall (1-0 NEWMAC), while the Pioneers open their season 0-1 (0-1 NEWMAC). 

Wellesley dominated the match, sweeping both doubles and singles, while only allowing the Pioneers to win one total game in the match.

In doubles, the Blue gave up just two total points, cruising to 8-0 wins at both first and third, while picking up an equally impressive 8-2 victory at two. At one, sophomore Sojung Lee and junior Diana Granger defeated Bayla Weick and Seema Samawi, while at two first-years Catherine Matulis and Suzanne Barth paired up to top Jana Chan and Haruka Shimoto. At third doubles, sophomore Veronica Lin and first-year Abby Esrock defeated Lindsay Roth and Kyle Gouchoe-Hanas.

Wellesley was just as dominate in singles, winning all six flights. The closest match of the afternoon came at number one, where Wellesley junior Erica Choo came from behind to win a three-set thriller over Smith's Weick. Choo dropped the first set, 6-3, but rebounded for a 6-2 victory in set two. Choo then came out on the winning end of a 10-8 third-set tiebreaker to seal the sweep for the Blue. 

Other singles wins for Wellesley included Granger defeating Jordan Dubin, 6-2, 6-1 at two, Lee and Matulis both blanking their opponents, 6-0, 6-0, at three and four, and the first-year pair of Esrock and Barth winning their fifth and sixth sets handily. Esrock topped Gouchoe-Hanas, 6-1, 6-0, while Barth defeated Ashley Burke, 6-0, 6-1. 

Wellesley returns to action on Saturday at Clark, with the Blue taking on the Cougars at 1:00pm. The match features a showdown between Wellesley head coach Brian Kuscher and his former assistant, Dan Munsey who took over the reigns of the Clark program this season.