The #12 Middlebury women's tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 4-2 loss to #5 Babson on Sunday in the NCAA Regional Final.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Middlebury quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead in doubles. Charlotte McCann and Ananya Annapantula swept Alessandra Cristiani and Manuela Moscoso in the second slot. The rookie duo of Ren Barton and Diya Pachamuthu cruised past Dana Kamal and Jolie Wang (6-2) at #3 to claim the point.
- Matia Cristiani knotted the match via a 6-3, 6-1 result during the top flight of singles action.
- Babson grabbed a 2-1 edge minutes later, as Tina Lu swept Pachamuthu in the fourth position.
- The first three-set marathon ensued at #3. Barton logged a 6-2 triumph in the opening frame before Alessandra Cristiani battled back with a 6-3 result in the second. The Beaver kept the momentum, grabbing the third frame (6-3) and the third point of the match.
- Elizabeth Doak trimmed the lead to 3-2 with her straight-set (6-4, 6-4) decision over Dana Kamal in the sixth position.
- Anna Lardner and Sandra Sikharulidze played a marathon match at #2 that lasted nearly three hours. The Panther won the opener 6-4 before Sikharulidze matched with the same result during the second frame. The players went back and forth in the decisive set, but Sikhardulidze grinded out a 7-6 (8-6) result in the tiebreaker to seal the match.
NOTES
- Lardner and Van Wieren were deadlocked at 4-4 in the top flight of doubles with Matia Cristiani and Sandra Sikharulidze when the point was clinched.
- McCann and Jolie Wang split the first two sets at #5 singles before the match was halted.
- Doak logged her 25th singles victory.
- The programs met for the fourth time.
Van Wieren will represent Middlebury on the national stage during the singles bracket of the NCAA Individual Championships. Action is set to begin on Friday, May 22 from the Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
