CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - For the second straight match, the William and Mary women's
tennis team knocked off a nationally ranked foe, this time disposing of No.
71-ranked Harvard, 5-2, at the Murr Tennis Center on Friday afternoon. After
dropping the doubles point, the Green and Gold won the top five singles posts
in improving to 4-1 on the season.
In doubles action, the No. 3 nationally-ranked Tribe duo of
juniors
Maria Belaya and
Jeltje Loomans started W&M off on the right foot
with a dominating 8-0 victory over Kristin Norton and Amanda He at the top
position. Belaya and Loomans improved to 12-2 on the season. Harvard though
rallied with narrow 8-6 victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions to secure
the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead.
The Green and Gold continued its strong singles play with
wins at the top five positions. At No. 1, Belaya improved to 9-6 overall and
3-2 at top spot as she avenged a loss from 2012 to Hideko Tachibana. The
Tribe junior upended the Crimson's top player, 6-3, 6-3, on Friday after
falling in straight sets to her during last season's dual match in Williamsburg.
Loomans and freshman
Leeza Nemchinov each won for the fourth time
in their five dual matches this spring at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots,
respectively. Loomans improved to 5-3 on the year with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Kristin
Norton at the No. 2 slot. Nemchinov downed Amanda Lin, 6-3, 6-2, at the No. 3
position to up her season ledger to 10-8.
Junior
Hope Johnson won her second consecutive match in
straight sets at the No. 4 post. She downed Harvard's Sylvia Li, 7-6 (3), 6-2,
for her seventh singles win of the season.
Senior
Anik Cepeda rounded out the Tribe victory with a
straight sets win at No. 5. Like Belaya, Cepeda avenged a 2012 dual-match loss
to Natalie Blooser as she tallied a 6-3, 7-5 win over the Harvard junior after falling to her last season. Cepeda moved her team-leading singles
win total to 11, including victories in five of her last six matches, to go along with a 4-1 dual-match mark.
The Tribe will conclude its trip to Cambridge against No.
64-ranked Kansas State on Saturday, Jan. 26. The match is slated for a noon
start at the Murr Tennis Center.
William and Mary 5, #71 Harvard 2
Singles
No. 1 -
Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Hideko Tachibana
(Harvard) - 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 -
Jeltje Loomans (W&M) def. Kristin Norton
(Harvard) - 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 -
Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. Amanda Lin (Harvard)-
6-3, 6-2
No. 4 -
Hope Johnson (W&M) def. Sylvia Li (Harvard) -
7-6 (3), 6-2
No. 5 -
Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Natalie Blosser (Harvard)
- 6-3, 7-5
No. 6 - Crystal Yen (Harvard) def.
Sydney Smith (W&M) -
6-0, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - #3 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) def. Norton/He (Harvard)
- 8-0
No. 2 - Lin/Li (Harvard) def. Johnson/Nemchinov (W&M) -
8-6
No. 3 - Tachibana/Morrill (Harvard) def. Cepeda/Smith
(W&M) - 8-6
