Southern N.H. Dispatches Women's Tennis, 6-3
Links: Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Merrimack College women's tennis team and the Southern New Hampshire Penmen met on Sunday afternoon at the SNHU Tennis Courts in a contest between two top-five teams in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Penmen defeated the Warriors, winning two of three at doubles before clinching the match during singles play.
The Basics
Score: Southern N.H. 6, Merrimack 3
Records: Merrimack (6-3, 5-3 NE-10) | Southern N.H. (4-1, 4-1 NE-10)
Location: SNHU Tennis Court | Manchester, N.H.
How It Happened
After not playing together against American International on Saturday, the combination of senior Chealsey Giatrelis (Centerville, Mass.) and Grace Messina (Caracas, Venezuela) took the court at No. 1 doubles and defeated Nour Kaddour and Yolanda Green, 8-2. The Penmen answered with a quick victory at No. 2, 8-1, to square the match at one-all.
Sophomore Mackenzie Blair (Thomaston, Conn.) and Danielle Dunn (Middleton, Mass.) competed in a back-and-forth contest at No. 3, but the pairing of Rachel Wagner and Lindsay Baum pulled away from the Warriors classmates, 8-5, to take a lead into singles.
Messina and Kaddour met at No. 1, with Messina securing a victory for the Navy and Gold (6-4, 6-4). She now has won 31 straight times during conference singles without losing to begin her career.
Giatrelis and Ashley Loft went the distance at No. 2. After losing the opening set by three games, the Merrimack senior captain won the second frame, 6-2, to force a third set. Loft battled back winning the final set by the same score to put away Giatrelis for only the second time this season during NE-10 singles.
Freshman Lauren Persson (Barnstable, Mass.) won in straight sets at No. 3, but the Warriors lost at No. 4-6 to prevent any sort of comeback. Both of Blair's sets went to a 12th game at No. 6, but Wagner won the deciding game in each frame (7-5, 7-5).
Results
Doubles
1. Grace Messina/ Chealsey Giatrelis (MER) def. Nour Kaddour / Yolanda Green (SNH) 8-2
2. Ashley Loft / Kaitlin Poje (SNH) def. Mana Seifaei / Lauren Persson (MER) 8-1
3. Rachel Wagner / Lindsay Baum (SNH) def. Mackenzie Blair/Danielle Dunn (MER) 8-5
Singles
1. Grace Messina (MER) def. Nour Kaddour (SNH) 6-4, 6-4
2. Ashley Loft (SNH) def. Chealsey Giatrelis (MER) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
3. Lauren Persson (MER) def. Yolanda Green (SNH) 6-2, 6-4
4. Kaitlin Poje (SNH) def. Mana Seifaei (MER) 6-3, 4-0 (retired)
5. Lindsay Baum (SNH) def. Danielle Dunn (MER) 6-3, 6-1
6. Rachel Wagner (SNH) def. Mackenzie Blair (MER) 7-5, 7-5
Up Next
Merrimack hosts Saint Michael's on Saturday at 2 p.m., the Warriors penunltimate regular-season home game against a conference opponent.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
