MIDDLETOWN, CT. – Returning home following a trip to the ITA Indoor National tournament, the fourth-ranked Wesleyan women's tennis team caught a sweep in the home opener, downing No. 20 Williams College in a 7-0 NESCAC victory on Saturday evening from inside the Bacon Field House.
Natalia Leroy '28 led the charge as the Cardinals began singles play with a 1-0 lead, dropping just one game to Mia Roets as the No. 4, turning out a 6-0, 6-1 victory as action was underway. At No. 2,
Agnes Guggenheim '29 defeated Zoe Yao in a 6-1, 6-4 final tally following Leroy's performance.
Captaining the sweep, senior
Leila Epstein '26 ran a 6-4, 6-3 campaign over Julia Zhang as the No. 1 for the Cardinals. Facing Ellie Stark at No. 6,
Kendall Smith '29 finished the job in a 6-3, 6-1 win to set up
Mariia Kornilova '29 and
Lara Afolayanka '29 as the match closers.
Kornilova defeated Ayanna Varma through set one but found herself in a tiebreak for set two, ultimately defeating Varma in a 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) match win. The final point of the night went to Afolayanka slotted at No. 3, in a matchup with Mia Thomann. Thomann held the lead through set one, but Afolayanka tied the match, forcing a third set before rallying to a 4-6, 6-1, 10-6 nightcap victory.
The Cardinals opened the match with a complete doubles sweep, the first win going to Afolayanka and Leroy as the No. 2 pair, defeating Varma and Thomann 6-2. Epstein and
Lucinda Gatsiounis '28 finished 7-5 over Jane Ladaga and Roets before Smith and Guggenheim defeated Zhang and Ahn Lin 7-5.
The Cardinals will host No. 6 Middlebury on Sunday, March 8, with action beginning at 2 p.m.
