Wellesley College Athletics

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2009
Wellesley Sports Information
Courtesy Vassar Sports Information

Wellesley Tennis Captures Fifth Straight Seven Sisters

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – After sweeping through the first three matches of the Seven Sisters Championship with relative ease, the Vassar College and Wellesley College women’s tennis teams faced off in a dramatic title match for the eighth straight year. Yet again Wellesley claimed the title, its fifth straight, after edging Vassar 3-2 despite facing an early 2-0 deficit on Sunday at Walker Field House.

Wellesley earned the title with 18 total team points, followed by Vassar’s 17 points, with Mount Holyoke College (five points) rounding out the top three. Bryn Mawr College finished in fourth with five points, and Smith College placed fifth with four points.

Vassar picked up two quick wins to start the match, with wins from No. 1 singles Nicole Pontee (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) over Marie Watanabe (Houston, TX) and No. 3 singles Alexis Jacobson (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) over Nathalie Herman (San Francisco, CA). However, the final three matches would not be decided so quickly.

The No. 2 singles match, between Wellesley’s Grace Cheng (Columbia, MD/River Hill) and Vassar’s Jennifer Beckerman (Santa Barbara, CA/Santa Barbara) put the two freshmen to the test. With Cheng serving for the match at 5-4, Beckerman battled back to send the set to a tiebreaker. Cheng prevailed, 7-6 (7-4), and then earned a 6-0 win in the second set to win the match.

In doubles play, the No. 2 Wellesley team of Meghan Stubblebine (Cumming, GA/Bishop Canevin) and Katie Ching (Kaneohe, HI/Honolulu Waldord School) fought off a feisty Vassar duo of Jamie Steele (Newport Beach, CA/Corona del Mar) and Nicole Block (Seaford, NY/ Seaford) winning a second set tiebreak to earn the 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory. Wellesley’s win at No. 2 doubles evened the match score 2-2, making the No. 1 doubles match the decisive match.

In fitting fashion, that decisive match went to three sets, as the Wellesley team of Mohona Siddique (Chevy Chase, MD/Sidwell Friends School) and Jacqueline Shen (Calgary, Alberta/Queen Elizabeth) recovered from a first set loss to Joy Backer (Del Mar, CA/Torrey Pines) and Krista Romita (Baltimore, MD/Roland Park Country Day) to notch a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win as Wellesley took home its 12th overall title.

In other Seven Sisters action on Sunday, Mount Holyoke earned its second close win of the weekend, with a 3-2 victory over Smith, and Bryn Mawr also edged Smith, 3-2. Vassar and Wellesley earned 5-0 sweeps in their first matches of the day, with Vassar defeating Bryn Mawr, and Wellesley downing Mt. Holyoke.

Flight Champions/All Seven Sisters Team
No. 1 Singles: Nicole Pontee, Vassar College
No. 2 Singles: Grace Cheng, Wellesley College
No. 3 Singles: Alexis Jacobson, Vassar College
No. 1 Doubles: Mohona Siddique and Jacqueline Shen, Wellesley College
No. 2 Doubles: Meghan Stubblebine and Katie Ching, Wellesley College

Seven Sisters Tennis Results

Saturday, March 28
Wellesley def. Bryn Mawr, 5-0
Vassar def. Smith, 5-0
Mt. Holyoke def. Bryn Mawr, 3-2
Wellesley def. Smith, 5-0
Vassar def. Mt. Holyoke, 5-0

Sunday, March 29
Mt. Holyoke def. Smith, 3-2
Vassar def. Bryn Mawr, 5-0
Wellesley def. Mt. Holyoke, 5-0
Bryn Mawr def Smith, 3-2
Wellesley def. Vassar, 3-2

Full Results

Saturday, March 28

Wellesley 5, Bryn Mawr 0
Singles
1. Marie Watanabe (WC) def. Karen Ginsburg (BMC), 6-3, 6-2
2. Grace Cheng (WC) def. Anna Perrochi (BMC), 6-0, 6-3
3. Nathalie Herman (WC) def. Melanie Shafer (BMC), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Mohona Siddique/Jacqueline Shen (WC) def. Mimi Nguyen/Leah Raj (BMC), 6-1, 6-0
2. Meghan Stubblebine/Katie Ching(WC) def. EB VerHoerve/Priscilla Roney (BMC), 6-1, 6-0

Vassar 5, Smith 0
Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Clair Oblamski (SC), 6-1, 6-0
2. Jennifer Beckerman (VC) def. Margaret Steiner (SC), 6-0, 6-0
3. Alexis Jacobson (VC) def. Robyn Cyr (SC), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Joy Backer/Krista Romita (VC) def. Jaimi Inskeep/Gianna Teague (SC), 6-2, 6-0
2. Jamie Steele/Nicole Block (VC) def. Allyson Hawkins/Mindy Chu (SC), 6-2, 6-0

Mt. Holyoke 3, Bryn Mawr 2
Singles
1. Karen Ginsburg (BCM) def. Ashley Fallon (MHC), 7-5, 7-6
2. Anna Perrochi (BMC) def. Elise Marifan (MHC), 6-2, 6-0
3. Heather Richardson (MHC) def. Melanie Shafer (BMC), 7-5, 6-1
Doubles
1. Natalie Hsiang/Elisa Frankel (MHC) def. Mimi Nguyen/Leah Raj (BMC), 6-2, 6-1
2. Kara Matsuzawa/Sarah Moore (MHC) def. EB VerHoerve/Priscilla Roney (BMC), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Wellesley 5, Smith 0
Singles
1. Marie Watanabe (WC) def. Clair Oblamski (SC), 6-1, 6-1
2. Grace Cheng (WC) def. Margaret Steiner (SC), 6-0, 6-0
3. Nathalie Herman (WC) def. Robyn Cyr (SC), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Mohona Siddique/Jacqueline Shen (WC) def. Jaimi Inskeep/Gianna Teague (SC), 6-0, 6-2
2. Meghan Stubblebine/Katie Ching (WC) def. Allyson Hawkins/Mindy Chu (SC), (6-1, 6-0)

Vassar 5, Mt. Holyoke 0
Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Ashley Fallon (MHC), 6-1, 6-2
2. Jennifer Beckerman (VC) def. Elise Marifan (MHC), 6-0, 6-1
3. Alexis Jacobson (VC) def. Heather Richardson (MHC), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Joy Backer/Krista Romita (VC) def. Natalie Hsiang/Elisa Frankel (MHC), 6-3, 6-0
2. Jamie Steele/Nicole Block (VC) def. Kara Matsuzawa (MHC), 6-2, 6-1

Sunday, March 29

Mt. Holyoke 3, Smith 2
Singles
1. Ashley Fallon (MHC) def. Clair Oblamski (SC), 6-2, 6-4
2. Margaret Steiner (SC) def. Elise Marifan (MHC), 6-3, 6-4
3. Heather Richardson (MHC) def. Robyn Cyr (SC), 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
1. Natalie Hsiang/Elisa Frankel (MHC) def. Jaimi Inskeep/Gianna Teague (SC), 6-3, 6-4
2. Allyson Hawkins/Mindy Chu (SC) def. Kara Matsuzawa/Sarah Moore (SC), 6-3, 6-3

Vassar 5, Bryn Mawr 0
Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Karen Ginsburg (BMC), 6-0, 6-2
2. Jennifer Beckerman (VC) def. Anna Perrochi (BMC), 6-0, 6-0
3. Alexis Jacobson (VC) def. Melanie Shafer (BMC), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Joy Backer/Krista Romita (VC) def. Mimi Nguyen/Leah Raj (BMC), 6-0, 6-0
2. Jamie Steele/Nicole Block (VC) def. EB VerHoerve/Priscilla Roney (BMC), 6-1, 6-1

Wellesley 5, Mt. Holyoke 0
Singles
1. Marie Watanabe (WC) def. Ashley Fallon (MHC), 6-2, 6-1
2. Grace Cheng (WC) def. Elise Marifan (MHC), 6-3, 6-1
3. Nathalie Herman (WC) def. Heather Richardson (MHC), 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Mohona Siddique/Jacqueline Shen (WC) def. Natalie Hsiang/Elisa Frankel (MHC), 6-0, 6-0
2. Meghan Stubblebine/Katie Ching (WC) def. Kara Matsuzawa/Sarah Moore (MHC), 6-1, 6-2

Bryn Mawr 3, Smith 2
Singles
1. Karen Ginsburg (BMC) def. Clair Oblamski (SC), 7-5, 7-5
2. Anna Perrochi (BMC) def. Margaret Steiner (SC), 6-4, 6-1
3. Melanie Shafer (BMC) def. Robyn Cyr (SC), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Jaimi Inskeep/Gianna Teague (SC) def. Mimi Nguyen/Leah Raj (BMC), 6-3, 6-3
2. Allyson Hawkins/Mindy Chu (SC) def. EB VerHoerve/Priscilla Roney (BMC), 6-2, 6-2

Wellesley 3, Vassar 2
Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Marie Watanabe (WC), 6-2, 6-3
2. Grace Cheng (WC) def. Jennifer Beckerman (VC), 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
3. Aleixis Jacobson (VC) def. Nathalie Herman (WC), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Mohona Siddique/Jacqueline Shen (WC) def. Joy Backer/Krista Romita (VC), 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
2. Meghan Stubblebine/Katie Ching (WC) def. Jamie Steele/Nicole Block (VC), 6-5, 7-6 (7-4)