The Bowdoin Women's Tennis Team sustained its winning streak over the weekend, even in the face of highly ranked opponents Middlebury and Amherst. Having broken the previous school record of 13-0 in a season last week with its match against Colby, the team continues to set the standard for the history of Bowdoin women's tennis, advancing from a 14-0 record to an impressive 16-0 total.
Saturday's match saw the seventh-ranked Bears set against the challenging ninth-ranked Middlebury. The match opened with a solid doubles sweep by Bowdoin.
In the first doubles set, Sarah D'Elia '09 and Kristen Raymond '08 "came together in fine fashion and played unstoppable tennis," said Assistant Coach Kristina Sproat.
The pair finished with a decisive final score of 8-0. The match played by the team's captains, Christine D'Elia '07 and Kelsey Hughes '07, was considerably closer, but Bowdoin gained the edge through a tiebreaker in the 9-8(5) match. Brett Davis '10 and Rachel Waldman '09 also closed their match with a dramatic, yet ultimately triumphant, tiebreaker.
In the singles rounds, Sarah D'Elia lost two straight sets against Middlebury's Amy Roche, who is ranked as the No. 1 player in the Northeast. Raymond, on the other hand, easily defeated Claire Smyser in two sets. On the third court, Hughes had somewhat of a slow start, but after losing her first set she was able to win the next two, securing Bowdoin's lead at 5-1. Fourth on the lineup, Christine D'Elia, struggling with a leg injury, lost her match to Middlebury's Elizabeth Emery. However, Waldman and Davis regained Bowdoin's upper hand with their final two matches.
"I knew that this women's team was going to be special this year after they had such a successful fall," said Head Coach Colin Joyner, referring to the squad's success in the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament, where Bowdoin finished as the top team.
The team entered Sunday's match against Amherst riding high off of its victory over Middlebury, but facing an even greater challenge in the third-ranked Amherst. Bowdoin took two of the three doubles matches, with Sarah D'Elia and Raymond coming out triumphant with a final score of 8-4 and Christine D'Elia and Hughes similarly victorious, defeating Amherst's Katie Hudson and Monica Snyder 8-5. In the third match, Davis and Waldman were outplayed by Laura Stein and Jennifer Murphy of Amherst, losing 8-5.
Thanks to the strong performances in the doubles matches, Bowdoin was up 2-1 going into singles. The women immediately won three out of the first four sets. Hughes, in the third spot, was the first off the court after losing her first two sets against Amherst's Monica Snyder and thus brought the total score to 2-2. But Sarah D'Elia and Raymond re-established Bowdoin's lead by winning tight second matches, each in tiebreakers. Christine D'Elia, up fourth and still battling a leg injury, was not able to capitalize on her victorious first set and lost after two more sets, final scores 2-6, 6-4, and 6-1.
For the last two matches, the stage was tense and set with a standing score of 4-3. If it won both matches, Amherst would take the victory. Bowdoin's Davis and Waldman, however, were not about to let this happen. Davis defeated opponent Katie Hudson in two 6-4 sets; similarly, Rachel Waldman overpowered Amherst's Laura Stein with two sets of 7-5, making the final score of the match 6-3.
"Brett Davis and Rachel Waldman have been absolute rocks at the bottom of our lineup combining for a 29-0 singles record in dual matches," Joyner said.
"At this point, I am convinced that this team has the talent, depth, and leadership to win a national championship, which is very exciting as we move into postseason play," Joyner said.
The Bears face a Saturday away match at Williams and a Sunday match at Hamilton.