Box Score Eighth-seeded Sahana Raman of the Middlebury women's tennis team claimed wins in first and second-round matches on the opening day of the NCAA Singles Championship. With the victories, Raman advances to the quarterfinals and takes on Wesleyan's third-seeded Nika Vesely at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
 
FIRST-ROUND HIGHLIGHTS

• In the first round of action against North Central's (Ill.) Abigail Penados, Raman jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening set. Penados cut the deficit in half with a victory in the third game, before the Panther rattled off four-consecutive triumphs to secure the 6-1 win.
• In the second frame, Raman again grabbed a 2-0 lead, but Penados battled back to knot the contest at 3-3. The Panther claimed two-straight games, but Penados wouldn't go away and cut the lead down to one (5-4). Powerful serving by Raman closed out the set 6-4 to send her to the round of 16. 

SECOND-ROUND HIGHLIGHTS

• In the afternoon, Raman squared off with Babson's Matia Cristiani and did not allow a point to take the first game and go up 1-0. 
• The next pair of games went to deuce with each player earning match point as Raman maintained a one-game edge (2-1).
• Cristiani claimed a pair of games, but Raman responded with two-straight wins of her own to take a 4-3 edge. The Beaver would not go away, tying the set at four games apiece. 
• Strong serving in the ninth game propelled Raman to a victory, as the Panther took a 5-4 lead. That momentum was all she needed, not allowing a point in the 10th game to secure a 6-4 opening-set triumph.
• Raman took a 2-0 lead to begin the second frame, but Christiani grabbed match point in the third and was victorious in the fourth to deadlock the contest 2-2.
• The players traded the next pair of games to stay tied (3-3), before Raman won three-consecutive games to clinch the match 6-3 and earn a spot in the quarterfinals. 

NOTES

• Raman and Christiani met for the second time this year, as the Panther leveled the series at 1-1. 
• The second-round victory was Raman's 45th in her career, owning an impressive 45-11 record. 
• Raman takes on familiar NESCAC foe Vesely on Saturday morning with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Raman and Vesley meet for the fourth time this year, with Vesely boasting a 2-1 mark in the series. Raman claimed a 7-5, 2-6, 12-10 victory in the fall over Vesely, but the Cardinal won the regular-season (6-4, 6-4) and NESCAC Championship (6-2, 6-4) bouts. 

The winner of Saturday will move on to Sunday, with a semifinal match at 10:00 a.m.