Box Score: Men / Women
DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men's and women's tennis teams defeated Assumption College by identical 7-2 scores Monday afternoon at the Robinson Tennis Courts.
At No. 1 doubles, junior Brandon Roode (Griswold, Conn.) and sophomore Carlos De La Cruz (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) battled to beat freshman Chris Waung (Bolton, Conn.) and sophomore Viljami Rahnasto (Vantaa, Finland) 8-6. Nichols No. 2 doubles team of Josh Halpern (Secaucus, N.J.) and freshman James Smith (Monte Sereno, Calif.) defeated graduate student Michael Breen (Holden, Mass.) and freshman Andrew LaMonico (York, Maine) 8-1.
Assumption's No.3 doubles team of graduate student Matt Drolet (Cumberland, R.I.) and freshman Tom Knight (Wilbraham, Mass.) went to a tiebreaker to defeat  the senior team of Dan Roman (Tolland, Conn.) and Paul Healy (Pomfret, Conn.), 8-7 (7-3).
Assumption's only other win on the men's side came in No. 2 singles when Rahnasto bested De La Cruz in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
The Bison won the rest of the matches in straight sets. No. 1 Roode defeated Waung 6-4, 6-0 and No. 3 freshman Joan Castillo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) took care of LaMonico 6-2, 6-2. The No. 4 and No. 5 matches were both sweeps, 6-0, 6-0 as Halpern downed Drolet and freshman Jake Zapatka (Weathersfield, Conn.) defeated sophomore Matt Surpenant (Norwich, Conn.). The No. 6 match between Smith and Breen went to an eight-game pro set, with Smith coming out on top 8-2.
"Overall, the guys played really strong today," said Nichols head coach Paul Brower. "Brandon played great as usual and the guys at four, five, and six continued to dominate. Joan Castillo played his best tennis of the fall today."
On the women's side, Assumption took the No. 3 doubles match and the No. 4 singles match, and left the rest to the Bison. Senior Paige Gilet (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore Kendra Sloan (West Boylston, Mass.) defeated senior Erin Rivers (Bristol, R.I.) and sophomore Michelle Keklik (Stratford, Conn.) 8-1 while No. 4 sophomore Cassy Waung (Bolton, Conn.) went three sets to defeat freshman Emma Carey (Venice, Fla.) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
At No. 1 doubles, senior Anna Dyakiv (Amsterdam, N.Y.) and freshman Cristina Szepanski (Windsor Locks, Conn.) took down the freshman team of Hannah Riley (Ellington, Conn.) and Kristen Carbone (Taunton, Mass.) 8-2. Junior Lindsay Benoit (Holden, Mass.) and Carey had no trouble with senior Meg Hall (Pembroke, Mass.) and Waung, winning 8-0.
Much like the men, the rest of the women's singles won in straight sets. No. 1 Dyakiv beat Riley 6-4, 6-3 and No. 2 Benoit defeated Carbone 6-2, 6-1. Gilet fell to Szepanski at No. 3 6-0, 6-2. No. 5, junior Kelsey Peterson (Fairbanks, Alaska) controlled her match against Hall, winning 6-1, 6-2. Junior Samantha Rydell (Williamstown, Mass.) defeated Sloan 6-4, 6-1.
"The top two doubles teams were great. Top to bottom, we played very well in singles," said Brower. "It was nice to see Cristina get back in the win column, and Kelsey Peterson continued her strong play."
The Bison women's team (8-3, 5-1 CCC) travel to Milton, Mass. to play a  conference match against Curry on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. The Bison men's team (3-0) hosts Coast Guard Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Assumption's women travel to St. Rose on October 12 for a 1:00 p.m. match, and its men host Regis on October 8 at 3:00 p.m.
