DUDLEY, Mass. (Sept. 9) – The Nichols College women's tennis team opened the 2009 season with an 8-1 home victory over Clark University at the Francis W. Robinson Courts. Sophomore Chelsey Miller (Salem, Conn.) clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 5 singles after teaming up with first-year Alexandra Cifone (Bristol, Conn.) for an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles.

Jill McQuiggan (Weymouth, Mass.) and Megan Woodruff (Morris, Conn.) joined Cifone as first-year players in the Bison lineup, with all three earning their first collegiate victories. McQuiggan defeated Alexa Ebert  in the top flight, 6-1, 6-1; Cifone topped Emily Schweitzer at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-3; and Woodruff completed the lineup in the sixth flight with a quick 6-0, 6-0 victory over Jenni Adams.

Maria Balabanova (Moscow, Russia) was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Andrea Nathan at No. 4 singles, while Clark's Julia Bergeron picked up the Cougars' lone point with a 6-2, 6-0 win over the Bison's Molly McGuire (E. Sandwich, Mass.).

Nichols held a 3-0 lead after doubles play; McGuire and McQuiggan were the first to finish in the top flight with an 8-0 victory over Ebert and Livingston. Balabanova and Woodruff proceeded with an 8-3 win over Nathan and Adams at No. 3 doubles before Miller and Cifone finished out in the second flight by defeating Bergeron and Schweitzer.

Nichols travels to Becker Thursday for its final non-conference tune-up at 3:30 p.m. before opening The Commonwealth Coast Conference play at Curry Saturday at noon. Clark hosts Simmons Thursday at 5 p.m.

Nichols 8, Clark University 1
Sep 01, 2009 at Dudley, Mass. (Francis W. Robinson Courts)

Singles competition

1. Jillian McQuiggan (NC) def. Alexa Ebert (CLK) 6-1, 6-1

2. Julia Bergeron (CLK) def. Molly McGuire (NC) 6-2, 6-0

3. Alexandra Cifone (NC) def. Emily Schweitzer (CLK) 6-2, 6-3

4. Maria Balabanova (NC) def. Andrea Nathan (CLK) 6-1, 6-1

5. Chelsey Miller (NC) def. Phoebe Livingston (CLK) 6-0, 6-0

6. Megan Woodruff (NC) def. Jenni Adams (CLK) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. Molly McGuire/Jillian McQuiggan (NC) def. Alexa Ebert/Phoebe Livingston (CLK) 8-0

2. Chelsey Miller/Alexandra Cifone (NC) def. Julia Bergeron/Emily Schweitzer (CLK) 8-4

3. Maria Balabanova/Megan Woodruff (NC) def. Andrea Nathan/Jenni Adams (CLK) 8-3

Match Notes

Clark University 0-1

Nichols 1-0

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,5,1,4,3,2)

T-2:45 A-24