Blue Tennis Competes in NEWMAC Tournament this Weekend
WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Wellesley College tennis team will begin its defense of the 2011 NEWMAC title, competing at Wheaton College in the 2012 NEWMAC Tournament this weekend.
Wellesley finished the regular season with a 6-1 record in NEWMAC play. The Blue earned the number-two seed, behind MIT, who nabbed the top seed with a 7-0 conference record.
The Blue will open play on Saturday against third-seeded Babson at 3:00pm. Last time out, Wellesley picked up a 6-3 win over the Beavers. The Blue grabbed a 2-1 edge after doubles, with Diana Granger and Sojung Lee winning at one, and Erica Choo and Joyce Chen taking their second-flight match. Wellesley then sealed the match with four singles wins, as Choo, Lee, Catherine Matulis and Chen earned victories.
A win on Saturday would send Wellesley to the NEWMAC Championship match on Sunday at 1:00pm. Fourth-seeded Wheaton and top-seeded MIT will battle in the other semifinal match on Saturday, for the right to play in Sunday's final.
Wellesley owns a 6-3 win over Wheaton, but fell to MIT, 6-3, in its only NEWMAC loss. Against Wheaton, Wellesley swept through doubles competition, taking a 3-0 lead, and then won three of the six singles spots to complete the victory.
Against MIT, Wellesley fell 6-3. The Blue went down 3-0 after doubles, but Wellesley's top pair of Granger and Lee battled MIT's #1's to a 9-7 tiebreaker. In singles, Wellesley and MIT split the six matches, with Wellesley's #3, Lee, falling in a three-set tiebreak to Victoria Tam of MIT.
Wellesley has won 12 total conference titles dating back to 1990.
2012 NEWMAC Tennis Tournament
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, October 24 at higher seed:
#4 Wheaton def. #5 Mount Holyoke, 5-1
Semifinals: Saturday, October 27 Hosted by Wheaton College:
Winner #4/5 Seed vs. #1 MIT - 12:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. if indoors)
#3 Babson vs. #2 Wellesley - 3:00 p.m.
Championship: Sunday, October 28 Hosted by Wheaton College:
Semifinal winners - 1:00 p.m.