Women's Tennis Advances to NE-10 Semifinals with 5-1 Victory over Assumption Wednesday
Links: Box Score
MIDDLETON, Mass. – After sweeping doubles play and winning at No. 1-2 singles, the fourth-seeded Merrimack College women's tennis team opened up Northeast-10 Championship play with a 5-1 victory over fifth-seeded Assumption College in quarterfinal action from the Northeast Tennis Center on Wednesday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: #4 Merrimack 5 | #5 Assumption 1
Records: Merrimack (13-3, 9-3 NE-10) | Assumption (9-6, 8-4 NE-10)
Location: Northeast Tennis Center | Middleton, Mass.
What They Said:
Head coach Aaron Bergeron: "I'm very pleased with how the women played today. We knew Assumption was going to come out ready to battle. They had a great year and Dan does a phenomenal job with that program. I couldn't be happier with how we responded today."
2015 NE-10 Championship
Wednesday, October 21 – First Round
Match 1: #3 Stonehill vs. #6 Le Moyne,
Match 2: #4 Merrimack def. #5 Assumption, 5-1
Friday , October 23 – Semifinals
Match 3: #4 Merrimack vs. #1 Adelphi
Match 4: #3 Stonehil/#6 Le Moyne vs. #2 Southern N.H.
Sunday, October 25 – Finals
Match 5: Match #3 Winner vs. Match #4 Winner (@ Highest Remaining Seed)
How It Happened
With four courts available indoors, the quarterfinal contest began with all three doubles and sixth singles competing.
The Warriors jumped out to leads at second and third doubles as senior captain Chealsey Giatrelis (Centerville, Mass.) and sophomore Danielle Dunn (Middleton, Mass.) won five of seven games to take a 5-2 advantage at No. 2. At No. 3, freshmen Celine Mende (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Lauren Persson (Barnstable, Mass.) led by the same score before prevailing in the final three games and give Merrimack a 1-0 lead in the match.
Giatrelis and Dunn followed suit by winning by the an 8-3 score to put the Navy and Gold up 2-0. At first doubles, junior Grace Messina (Caracas, Venezuela) and freshman Mana Seifaei (North York, Ontario) fell behind by a game, 4-3, before winning four games in a row to build a 7-4 advantage. Assumption answered by winning the next two games to cut the deficit to one, but the Warriors duo answered to win, 8-6, and enter singles play with a 3-0 lead.
Messina dispatched her opponent at No. 1 singles in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-1. The three-time NE-10 Player of the Year has now won all six of her career matches in the postseason.
Giatrelis wrapped things up with a straight-set victory at second singles. After trailing early on in the first set, the senior captain rallied for a 7-5 victory. Leading 5-3 in the final frame, Giatrelis cemented the victory with a forehand winner. With the victory, the Navy and Gold advance to the conference semifinals for third straight season.
Results
Doubles
1. Grace Messina/ Mana Seifaei (MER) def. Hannah Riley / Cassie Burbine (ASM) 8-6
2. Danielle Dunn / Chealsey Giatrelis (MER) def. Paige Benoit / Marie Black (ASM) 8-3
3. Celine Mende / Lauren Persson (MER) def. Aubrey Lovejoy / Kristen Carbone (ASM) 8-2
Singles
1. Grace Messina (MER) def. Cassie Burbine (ASM) 6-3, 6-1
2. Chealsey Giatrelis (MER) def. Paige Benoit (ASM) 7-5, 6-3
3. Mana Seifaei (MER) vs. Hannah Riley (ASM) did not finish
4. Lauren Persson (MER) vs. Aubrey Lovejoy (ASM) did not finish
5. Danielle Dunn (MER) vs. Marie Black (ASM) did not finish
6. Cassy Waung (ASM) def. Mackenzie Blair (MER) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Up Next
Merrimack advances to the conference semifinals where the Warriors will play undefeated and top-seeded Adelphi in the conference semifinals. The Navy and Gold went to Garden City, N.Y. last season and upset the Panthers, 5-4, to advance to the conference final.
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