MEDFORD - With five players making their collegiate debut, the #17 Tufts women's tennis team had a strong opening to its 2013-14 season with a 7-2 victory against local rival Babson College at Voute Courts on Tuesday. The loss was the first of the season for the Beavers (4-1).
Junior Sophie Schonfeld (Washington, DC) was the only returning player to take part in both doubles and singles for head coach Kate Bayard's Jumbos. She won in both, including a 7-5, 6-4 final in #2 singles.
Senior captain Samantha Gann (Massapequa, NY) and senior Shelci Bowman (Dallas, TX) teamed up for an 8-6 Tufts win in #1 doubles, but did not play singles.
The Jumbos (1-0) won all three doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead. Schonfeld and first-year Conner Calabro (Sherman Oaks, CA) won quickly 8-1 at #2. First-years Hanna Slutsky (Palm City, FL) and Chelsea Hayashi (San Anselmo, CA) debuted impressively with an 8-3 win on the third court.
Calabro and classmate Jacqueline Baum (Highland Park, IL) won in straight sets at #3 and #4 singles, respectively. Senior Rebecca Kimmel (Longmeadow, MA), who returned to the team after a year off, also won in straight sets at #6.
In #1 singles, Babson's Alex Freeman topped Jumbo first-year Alexa Meltzer (New York, NY) 6-0, 7-5. The other win for the Beavers came at #5, where Tori Paolino topped Tufts sophomore Catherine Worley (New Orleans, LA) 7-5, 6-4.
Tufts plays next at the ITA Regional Championship tournament September 27-29 at Williams. Babson plays at Smith on Friday.
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