The Middlebury women's tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 5-1 loss in the NCAA Regional Finals to top-ranked Amherst The Panthers finish their season with a 14-6 mark.
In doubles play, Amherst quickly took a 1-0 lead with an 8-3 win at number two by Jill Wexler and Natasha Brown over Middlebury's Victoria Aiello and Anna Burke. The Lord Jeffs pushed their lead to 2-0 as Brittany Berckes and Laura Danzig won by the same 8-3 score at number one over Jamie Haar and Alexandra McAtee. The Panthers closed the gap to 2-1 before the changeover to singles play when Leah Kepping and Brittney Faber pulled out an 8-6 win over Carlissa King and Caroline Richman at number three.
Amherst took a 3-1 lead as Wexler cruised to a straight set 6-1, 6-1 win over Jamie Haar at number four singles. The Jeffs closed in on the win shortly after with Carlissa King handing Brittney Faber a 6-3, 6-2 defeat at number three. Brittany Berckes closed out the win overVictoria Aiello 6-4, 6-3 at number one, ending the match with a 5-1 win for the Lord Jeffs.
Amherst held a lead in two of the three remaining matches when play was halted. Laura Danzig held a 2-0 lead in a second-set tiebreaker against Alexandra McAtee, with Danzig having won the first set 6-4. Laken King topped Anna Burke 7-5 in the first set, and was tied 1-1 in the second stanza. At number five, Middlebury's Leah Kepping held a lead over Amherst's Natasha Brown, winning the first set 6-4, before sitting tied at 2-2 in the second.
Amherst 5, Middlebury 1
Doubles
1) Berckes/Danzig (A) def. Haar/McAtee (M) 8-3
2) Wexler/Brown (A) def. Aiello/Burke (M) 8-3
3) Faber/Kepping (M) def. Richman/C. King (A) 8-6
Singles
1) Brittany Berckes (A) def. Victoria Aiello (M) 6-4, 6-3
2) Laura Danzig (A) leading Alexandra McAtee (M) 6-4, 6-6 (2-0), unfinished
3) Carlissa King (A) def. Brittney Faber (M) 6-3, 6-2
4) Jill Wexler (A) def. Jamie Haar (M)6-1, 6-1
5) Leah Kepping (M) leading Natasha Brown (A) 6-4, 2-2, unfinished
6) Laken King (A) leading Anna Burke (M) 7-5, 1-1, unfinished
