The second-seeded/#5 Middlebury women's tennis team was edged in the NESCAC Championship 5-4 by top-seeded/#3 Wesleyan on Sunday. The Cardinals served as the host school with matches taking place on the John Wood Memorial Courts. The Panthers, who advanced to the final for the fifth-consecutive season that they have competed, see a nine-match winning streak snapped and fall to 15-5. Wesleyan (20-0) claims its third NESCAC title and the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, while the Panthers will wait to hear if they will receive at-large berth when the field is announced on Monday.

Middlebury grabbed a 2-1 lead after doubles play. Panthers Amy Delman and Gena Huang won four of the first five games in the top spot and eased to an 8-3 victory. The #3 duo of Sahana Raman and Claudia Miller traded the first 10 games with their opponent, before claiming three of the next four during an 8-6 triumph. Wesleyan earned an 8-4 victory in the middle spot, sending the match to singles play.

Raman began singles action for the Panthers with a 6-2, 6-1 win in the second position for a 3-1 Middlebury advantage. The Cardinals earned straight-set triumphs at #1 (6-2, 6-2), #4 (6-3, 6-4) and in the bottom spot of the lineup (6-4, 6-2) to grab a 4-3 lead.

The fifth slot had Huang race out to a 4-1 advantage in the opening set during a 6-2 win. In the second, Huang trailed 2-0 and battled back to level the set at 4-4, before earning the point for the Panthers with a 6-4 win.

The match came down to #3 singles, as Miller and Wesleyan's Venia Yeung needed three sets to decide a victor. Miller grabbed the tight opening set 6-4, but Yeung took set number two 6-0. Miller moved out to a 3-1 advantage in the third set, before Yeung rattled off four-consecutive game wins for a 5-3 edge. Miller held serve and pulled to within one (5-4), but Yeung served out the match (4-6, 6-0, 6-4) and clinched the title for the Cardinals.