SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Middlebury College women’s tennis team picked up two recent 9-0 victories, one in the first of three matches played in the Panthers’ spring trip to California, to improve to 5-0, but two tough tests lie in wait for a team ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division III.
On Thursday, the Panthers will visit No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer, and on Saturday they will travel to No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before returning next weekend to start NESCAC play on the road.
On March 25, the Panthers picked up a 9-0 win over host Babson (11-3), with all matches decided in straight sets except one.
At No. 1 doubles, Ria Gerger and Kaysee Orozco won, 8-5. At No. 2, Lily Bondy and Sadie Shackelford prevailed, 8-4, and at No. 3, Alexandra Fields and Lauren Amos coasted, 8-2.
In singles play, at No. 1 Fields won, 6-0, 6-0. At No. 2, Bondy won, 6-1, 6-0. Christina Puccinelli clinched the match from the No. 3 spot with a 6-1, 6-0 win. Molly Paradies prevailed at No. 4 (6-4, 6-2), and Shackelford earned a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 6. Amos rounded out the scoring with a 6-4, 5-7, 3-2 victory in a match stopped early due to the facility closing.
On Tuesday, the Panthers blanked host D-II school Point Loma Nazarene, 9-0. At No. 1 doubles, Gerger and Orozco won, 8-2. At No. 2, Bondy and Shackelford prevailed, 8-3, and at No. 3, Alexandra Fields and Lauren Amos coasted, 8-3.
In singles play, at No. 1 Gerger won, 6-0, 6-1. At No. 2, Fields won, 6-2, 6-4. At No. 3, Bondy won, 6-2, 6-1. Puccinelli prevailed at No. 4, 6-4, 6-3. At No. 5, Paradies won, 6-4, 6-2, and at No. 6. Amos won, 6-0, 6-1.