Women’s Tennis Sets Up Showdown at Stonehill with 4-3 Victory vs. Le Moyne

Links: Box Score

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The doubles point proved to be crucial on Sunday afternoon at North Andover High School for the Merrimack College women's tennis program. The Warriors and visiting Le Moyne College Dolphins split the six Northeast-10 Conference singles matches, leaving Merrimack as the victors after the hosts won two of three doubles matches to start the day. The Warriors will now enter this week in sole possession of second place in the NE10, with a showdown at league-leading and undefeated Stonehill looming on Wednesday.

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 4, Le Moyne 3
Records: Merrimack (8-4, 7-1 NE10) | Le Moyne (7-3, 6-2 NE10)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | North Andover High School

Results
Doubles

1. Mana Seifaei/Rosemary Campanella (MER) def. Tiffany Hamdan/Birdem Oz (LEM) 6-3

2. Kristina Calistro/Cassie Restrepo (MER) def. Caroline St. Antoine/Marta Nunez (LEM) 6-4

3. Brooke Fernandez/Camila Humala (LEM) def. Mia Briggs/Lauren Persson (MER) 6-2

Singles

1. Tiffany Hamdan (LEM) def. Mana Seifaei (MER) 6-4, 6-4

2. Birdem Oz (LEM) def. Lauren Persson (MER) 6-2, 6-0

3. Cassie Restrepo (MER) def. Caroline St. Antoine (LEM) 6-2, 6-2

4. Marta Nunez (LEM) def. Kristina Calistro (MER) 6-3, 5-7, 10-8

5. Rosemary Campanella (MER) def. Belen Wibmer (LEM) 6-4, 6-4

6. Hope Salts (MER) def. Camila Humala (LEM) 6-0, 6-3

 
Rapid Recap

• Merrimack's top-two doubles tandems ensured a 1-0 lead for the hosts entering singles. Senior captain Mana Seifaei and freshman Rosemary Campanella combined for a 6-3 victory over Le Moyne's top option to even doubles at one point apiece after the Dolphins claimed the third flight
• Second doubles proved to be the swing match. Sophomore Cassie Restrepo and freshman Kristina Calistro outlasted the Dolphins second pairing, 6-4, to win the tilt and give the Warriors the advantage entering singles
• Freshman Hope Salts continued her strong conference slate with a two-set win at sixth singles, 6-0 and 6-3. Restrepo picked up her third win of the year at No. 3, 6-2 and 6-2, to move the Warriors within a point of the match
• Campanella's eighth straight win clinched the match. The Wells, Maine native won by identical set scores of 6-4 to down the Dolphins. During her eight-match singles winning streak, the rookie has yet to lose a single set

Up Next
The Warriors will face one of their stiffest tests so far in 2018, when Merrimack travels to conference-leading and nationally ranked Stonehill on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. match from the Charles Watt Tennis Courts in Easton, Mass.