CLINTON, NY (March 28, 2026) -- No. 16 Tufts University delivered a strong all-around performance on Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 39 Hamilton College, 6-1, in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action at the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
The Jumbos set the tone early by sweeping all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead.
The pairing of Melanie Woodbury and Claudia Grove wasted no time at No. 3 doubles, rolling to a dominant 6-0 victory to put Tufts on the board. Ellie Gershaw and Ryan Wuhrman followed with a solid 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, and the duo of Natalie Hu and Brooklyn Bindas completed the sweep with another 6-4 decision at the top spot, giving Tufts momentum heading into singles play.
In singles, Tufts quickly took control of the match with decisive wins in the middle of the lineup. Kyra McCandless was the first off the court at No. 5 singles, earning a convincing 6-4, 6-0 victory to extend the lead. Although Hamilton picked up its lone point at No. 4 singles, the Jumbos responded immediately as Melanie Woodbury secured a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles to push Tufts closer to clinching the match.
Lucy Mitchell delivered the clinching point at the top of the lineup, turning in a strong 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles to seal the team win. Claudia Grove added another point with a gritty performance at No. 6 singles, battling to a 7-6 (7-3) tiebreak win in the second set after taking the first, 6-3.
The most dramatic match of the day came at No. 3 singles, where Nadia Khera outlasted Grace Qian in a tightly contested three-set battle. After cruising through the opening set 6-0, Khera dropped the second before regrouping to win a decisive third-set tiebreak, 7-6, closing out an impressive effort.
With the win, Tufts improves to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in NESCAC play, and will battle No. 14 Amherst College Sunday at home in a crucial conference tilt.
--JUMBOS--
