MIT Defeats Smith, 8-1
Sept. 9, 2007
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's tennis team kicked off its 2007 campaign by defeating Smith College, 8-1, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match on Saturday. The Engineers' ledger improved to 1-0 overall and in conference play while the Pioneers fell to 0-1 on the year and in the NEWMAC.
MIT's No. 1 doubles tandem of Mariah Hoover and Leslie Hansen opened the match with an 8-0 victory while Anisa McCree and Liz Denys notched an 8-2 win. Smith cut its deficit in half when Catherine Lydecker and Alanna Dick defeated Jen Rees and Melissa Diskin, 8-6, in the No. 3 spot.
Hansen and Denys registered 6-0, 6-1 wins in the top two singles slots as Diskin defeated Anderson, 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 5 position. Hoover and Yi Wang sealed the match with victories of 6-2, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-3. In the No. 6 slot, McCree dropped her first set, 6-3, but bounced back with decisions of 6-1 and 10-6 to secure a singles sweep by MIT.
In exhibition action, Pikhart and Jenny Dohlman were double winners for the Engineers. Pikhart first collaborated with Wang for an 8-4 doubles victory and then outlasted her singles foe, 6-3, 7-5. Dohlman teamed up with Kerry Weinberg for an 8-4 win and went on to record a 6-2, 6-4 decision over Vida Nanal Mays. Emily Onufer and Katie Smyth wrapped up doubles play with an 8-5 win. Rees and Emma Rosen bolstered MIT's singles win total with 6-0, 6-4 and 6-1, 6-1 decisions, respectively. Sheena Bhalla lost a tough three-set match (6-2, 3-6, 10-5) while Weinberg retired in her match with the score at 2-6, 5-4.
Smith College vs. MIT
Final Team Score: MIT 8, Smith 1
Doubles
1. Mariah Hoover/Leslie Hansen (M) def. Miyu Kikuchi/Seiko Fujii (S), 8-0
2. Anisa McCree/Liz Denys (M) def. Diana Fiumefreddo/Nikki Anderson (S), 8-2
3. Catherine Lydecker/Alanna Dick (S) def. Jen Rees/Melissa Diskin (M), 8-6
4. Karina Pikhart/Yi Wang (M) def. Tina Jackson/ Vida Nanal Mays (S), 8-4
5. Kerry Weinberg/Jenny Dohlman (M) def. Jacqui Sager/Maggie Steiner (S), 8-4
6. Emily Onufer/Katie Smyth (M) def. Vida Chen/Mindy Chu (S), 8-5
Singles
1. Leslie Hansen (M) def. Miyu Kikuchi, 6-0, 6-1
2. Liz Denys (M) def. Seiko Fujii (S), 6-0, 6-1
3. Mariah Hoover (M) def. Diana Fiumefreddo (S), 6-2, 6-2
4. Yi Wang (M) def. Catherine Lydecker (S), 6-1, 6-3
5. Melissa Diskin (M) def. Nikki Anderson (S), 6-2, 6-1
6. Anisa McCree (M) def. Tina Jackson (S), 3-6, 6-1, 10-6
7. Karina Pikhart (M) def. Alanna Dick (S), 6-3, 7-5
8. Jen Rees (M) def. Mindy Chu (S), 6-0, 6-4
9. Jenny Dohlman (M) def. Vida Nanal Mays (S), 6-2, 6-4
10. Jacqui Sager (S) def. Kerry Weinberg (M), 2-6, 5-4 (ret.)
11. Emma Rosen (M) def. Maggie Steiner (S), 6-1, 6-1
12. Vida Chen (S) def. Sheena Bhalla (M), 6-2, 3-6, 10-5
