Women's tennis looks to qualify for the postseason this weekend with matches against Colby and Hamilton

Despite falling to Amherst last Sunday, April 19, the women’s tennis team pulled out a solid 7-2 win over Trinity and is looking forward to a strong finish to the regular season.

Amherst is currently ranked third in the nation for Division III women’s tennis, and they served to be as tough a competitor as always. Although the Cards fell to the Lord Jeffs 3-6, this year’s match was an improvement from previous seasons. For the past 12 years, the team has been shut out by the Purple and White. The fight the team put up this season illustrates the gap that the Wes women’s tennis program has been closing between themselves and the elite Division III squads.

One of the Cards’ three wins in the match came from Eudice Chong ’18 at the top of the ladder, 6-2, 6-2. Chong is still undefeated in dual match singles competition in her opening year at Wes. She also teamed up with fellow first-year Helen Klass-Warch to win at first doubles, 8-4. At second doubles, Nicole McCann ’18 and Captain Anna Howard ’15 snuck out a tough victory, 8-6, after breaking their opponents’ serve late in the match.

“We played great doubles against Amherst,” said Head Coach Mike Fried. “We were just a heartbeat away from sweeping the doubles against the number three team in the nation.”

By winning against Amherst, and after her win over the first singles player from Williams, Chong claimed the unofficial Little Three women’s tennis title for this season.

“She’s a tremendous tennis player,” Fried said. “Her record speaks for itself. It’s exciting for the team and for the school to have someone playing at that caliber.”

Klass-Warch had trouble at second singles, falling 1-6, 0-6. Aashli Budhiraja ’18 lost her opening set 1-6, put up a fight in the second, but fell 5-7. McCann was defeated in her match at fourth singles, 0-6, 2-6, and Dasha Dubinsky ’18 played a close first set, losing 4-6 before dropping the second set, 1-6. Jessica Seidman ’15 lost by the same margins as Dubinsky, but in opposite sets, 1-6, 4-6.

At third doubles, Budhiraja and Dubinsky were defeated in a close, exciting match, 7-9.

In the match against Trinity, the 33rd ranked team in the nation, the first doubles pair of Chong and Klass-Warch won their match 8-4. McCann and Howard, at second doubles, pulled out a strong 8-2 win over their opponents. Budhiraja and Dubinsky dominated at third dubs, winning 8-1.

For singles matches, Chong took the first set easily, 6-2, but had to battle in the next set, closing the match with a 7-5 result. Klass-Warch and Budhiraja fell at the second and third singles spots to their Bantam opponents, 2-6, 2-6, and 3-6, 6-7, respectively. McCann dominated at the fourth singles spot, winning 6-1, 6-1. Dubinsky was victorious at the fifth singles spot, 6-2, 6-2. Since at this point the Cards had won the match overall and weather was an issue, Seidman played a one set match, winning 6-3.

“After the Amherst and Trinity matches, we know we are on the right track to great success and to finish our season on a high note,” said Seidman. “We all competed very well and really demonstrated our mental toughness.”

This weekend, the team will take on Colby and Hamilton.

“Going into the next matches, we definitely need to remain focused and engaged right from the start,” Seidman said.

If the squad is able to pull off wins this weekend, the Cardinals should qualify for the NESCAC Championship for the first time ever, possibly as the fifth seed.

“For NESCACs, we just need to compete to the best of our ability and give our complete effort, and the results will naturally follow,” Seidman said.