Sports
Merrimack Women’s Tennis Nabs First Conference Win
The following was submitted by Robert Rossi of Merrimack College.
The women’s tennis team started the 2011 dual match slate with a 7-2 victory at Assumption Sunday afternoon. The Warriors begin the season 1-0 overall and in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Greyhounds slip to 1-2 on the year and 0-1 in the league.
Merrimack captured a pair of wins in doubles play to hold a 2-1 edge heading into singles action. Mollie Fitzgerald of Melrose and Kara Hole of Portsmouth, R.I., claimed an 8-1 decision at the second slot. Kylie Waddington of South Glastonbury, Conn., and Alyx Barnes Portsmouth, N.H., prevailed at the No. 3 position with an 8-1 victory.
In her first collegiate match at the No. 1 singles spot, rookie Shakee Messina of Caracas, Venezuela, picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win over Chrissy Lyons. Hole cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory at the second singles position, downing Jen Erickson.
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Courtney Garvey of Woburn edged Erica Micciche at the No. 3 singles match 6-4 in the first set before allowing three points in a tiebreaker to decide the second. In the fourth singles slot, Barnes rebounded from dropping the first set 6-1 to capture a pair of 7-5 results to claim the match.
Fitzgerald defeated Assumption’s Paige Gilet 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 5 position for Merrimack. Waddington took the first set 6-3 at the sixth singles spot but the Marissa Charles triumphed in the second and third sets to claim the Greyhounds’ second point.
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“Our team played really well today in the first conference match,” said head coach Sean Tully. “This was an important match for us and we did a great job of coming out and getting the win to start the year 1-0 in the conference.”
The Warriors are booked for a return trip to Worcester next weekend. Merrimack is set to battle Division I opponent Holy Cross September 30.
Doubles:
1. Lyons/Erickson (ASM) def. Messina/Garvey (MER) 8-2
2. Fitzgerald/Hole (MER) def. Blaisdell/Micciche (ASM) 8-1
3. Waddington/Barnes (MER) def. Hall/Charles (ASM) 8-1
Singles:
1. Messina (MER) def. Lyons (ASM) 6-2, 6-3
2. Hole (MER) def. Erickson (ASM) 6-2, 6-0
3. Garvey (MER) def. Micciche (ASM) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Barnes (MER) def. Blaisdell (ASM) 1-6, 7-5, 7-5
5. Fitzgerald (MER) def. Gilet (ASM) 6-3, 6-0
6. Charles (ASM) def. Waddington (MER) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
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