MEDFORD - With wins in the first five matches finished, the #17 Tufts women's tennis team took a decisive 7-2 victory over sixth-ranked Bowdoin College in NESCAC action on Voute Courts Saturday.
Bowdoin came into the match after earning the Polar Bear program's first-ever win over second-ranked Williams College, 6-3, last Saturday. However, they were no match for the Jumbos today as the hosts swept doubles and then secured the team result with a pair of straight-set singles victories.
Jumbos Lauren Louks and Mina Karamercan won 8-4 over Bowdoin's Joulia Likhanskaia and Tiffany Cheng, who are ranked as the #12 doubles pair in Division III. Tufts' Conner Calabro with Tomo Iwasaki at #2 and Otilia Popa with Zoe Miller in the third doubles match helped the Jumbos earn the sweep.
In singles, Karamercan rolled past Cheng 6-0, 6-1 in the #2 match to give Tufts a 4-0 lead. The Jumbos clinched the team win with Calabro's 6-3, 6-1 final over Maddie Rolph in third singles.
Bowdoin's victories came at #6 where Samantha Stalder defeated Chelsea Hayashi 6-3 and 6-1, and at #5 with Kyra Silitch reversing those scores in a 6-1, 6-3 win against Julia Keller.
The #1 match pitted Louks against Likhanskaia - ranked 30th and 31st in singles nationally, respectively - and the Jumbo sophomore posted a 6-4, 6-1 win. The lone match to go three sets was at #4 where Iwasaki won the third 6-4 for a victory against Bowdoin's #38 in the nation Tess Trinka.
Tufts improved to 11-5 overall and 5-3 in NESCAC with the win. The Jumbos play another top-ranked NESCAC oppponent later today against #2 Williams at 4 pm.
Bowdoin wrapped up its regular-season at 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
#
