CALIFORNIA — The Middlebury College women’s tennis team posted a 2-2 week against four ranked opponents to conclude its recent spring trip to southern California. The 5-3 Panthers began the week ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division III.
 Middlebury started the week with two losses against top-20 Division II opponents, 5-4 to No. 15 University of California San Diego on March 24 and 6-3 to No. 17 Azusa Pacific 6-3 on March 25. Middlebury completed the week with 6-3 wins over two D-III foes, No. 15 Chicago on March 26 and No. 7 Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday.
Against UC San Diego, Middlebury took two of three points during the doubles play. The tandem of junior Ria Gerger and sophomore Lily Bondy took an 8-4 win No. 1, and at No. 3 sophomore Alexandra Fields and junior Lauren Amos made it 2-0 via an 8-5 victory. At No. 3, sophomores Kaysee Orozco and Jennifer Sundstrom dropped an 8-6 match.
At No. 6 singles, Panther freshman Shannon Gibbs lost, 6-3, 6-4, and at No. 3 Orozco lost, 6-3, 6-2. Senior Katie Paradies brought the match back to even with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph in the fifth flight, and at No. 4 junior Margot Marchese gave the Panthers a 4-3 lead with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 decision. But Bondy at No. 2 and Gerger at No. 1 each dropped three-set matches as host UC San Diego prevailed.
In the match against Azusa Pacific, the Cougars earned three narrow victories in doubles, and the Panthers’ points came from singles wins by Gerger, Orozco and Paradies. 
On Thursday, Chicago secured a 2-1 lead at the conclusion of doubles, with Bondy and Gerger winning, 8-3, in the top spot for Middlebury. 
In singles, Middlebury took five straight wins, all in straight sets, by Gerger, Bondy, Marchese and Orozco, before Chicago won at No. 6 singles.  
Vs. Pomona-Pitzer, Orozco and Sundstrom and Gerger and Bondy each won, 8-3, to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead after doubles.
In singles, Middlebury took control of the match with straight-set wins from the top-three flights, by Gerger, Fields and Bondy. Paradies later picked up the final Panther point with a three-set victory.