MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — #4 Wesleyan topped #9 Williams 8-1 on Saturday afternoon in a dominant performance for the Cardinals against their Little Three rival Ephs, owners of 10 NCAA Championships. Wesleyan set the tone with a brilliant doubles performance, winning all three courts quickly and decisively, and from there cruised in singles, winning five matches in straight sets.
DOUBLES HIGHLIGHTS
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The #1 ranked team in the Northeast of Victoria and Kristina Yu played one of their sharpest matches of the spring, using their excellent hands and powerful groundstrokes to take it 8-2.
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At #2, Polina Kiseleva and Venia Yeung were forced to handle countless lobs dealt to them by Williams. The sophomore-freshman duo was up to the task, smashing overheads and swinging volleys throughout on their way to an 8-4 win.
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Alissa Nakamoto and Alexis Almy were faced with the most resistance at #3, but pulled away at the business end of the pro-set to finish the sweep with an 8-5 victory.
SINGLES HIGHLIGHTS
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Wesleyan earned their first singles point at #3, where Kristina Yu played steady tennis and displayed her defensive skill in a 6-2, 6-0 win.
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The clinching match came at #2, where Yeung—celebrating her birthday on Saturday—sealed things with a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
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Rounding out the first wave of singles matches were Victoria Yu at #1 and Kiseleva at #4, who both also won in straight sets.
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At #6, Nakamoto utilized her heavy groundstrokes very well in a great performance, winning 6-0, 6-3.
WHAT'S NEXT
The win sets up a match next Sunday against #7 Amherst for the Little Three title, a major opportunity for the Cardinals. That match, which will take place in Middletown, is scheduled for 3 PM.
--Recap by Ben Shapiro--
