Box Score - Clark (MA) / Box Score - Babson

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Nichols College women's tennis team opened up its 2014-15 season with a win 7-2 win over Clark (MA) Saturday afternoon followed by a 9-0 loss to Babson Saturday evening.

Nichols 7, Clark (MA) 2

The Bison started things off by sweeping the doubles matches. Freshman Alanna Judd (Westborough, Mass.) and her classmate Lauren Candia (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) knocked off juniors Becca Kravetz (Wayland, Mass.) and Kera Snyder (Portland, Maine) 8-2 at the No. 1 seed.

The No. 2 team of freshmen Ashley Dallaire (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Daniela Saldarriaga (Medellin, Columbia) battled with sophomore Stephanie Gallant (Charlton, Mass.) and freshman Isabelle Long (Bellevue, Wash.) before winning 9-8 (7-5). Sophomore Emma Carey (Venice, Fla.) and freshman Meghan Corr (Suffield, Conn.) defeated the No. 3 team of senior Sarah Clay (Ossipee, N.H.) and her classmate Leah Siegel-Reamer (Pawtucket, R.I.) 8-1.

The Cougars took their only two wins of the day at No. 1 and No. 3 singles. Sophomore Cristina Szepanski (Windsor Locks, Conn.) was knocked off by Long 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, while at No. 3 singles, Snyder defeated Carey 6-2, 6-3.

Nichols won the remainder of the singles matches in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

Senior captain Lindsay Benoit (Holden, Mass.) won her first match of the season, defeating Kravetz at the No. 2 seed while at the No. 4 spot senior Katie Malloy (Norwell, Mass.) beat Gallant.

Junior Michelle Keklik (Stratford, Conn.) took down Clay at No. 5 singles and freshman Tiffany Romano (Windsor Locks, Conn.) defeated Siegel-Reamer at the No. 6 spot.

"Today was a solid start," said Nichols head coach Paul Brower. "I was very happy with our doubles play against Clark, and a number of our singles players had solid showings."

Clark (MA) travels to take on Rhode Island College on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

Babson 9, Nichols 0

The Bison didn't fare well at all in their second match of the day, dropping every set but one for the entire match.

The Beavers swept through doubles without a problem.  The No. 1 doubles team of senior Alex Freeman (Medfield, Mass.) and freshman Yagmur Akgul (Istanbul, Turkey) knocked off Judd and Candia 8-2 while at the No. 2 doubles team of senior Alexis Ferraro (Coral Gables, Fla.) and junior Tori Paolino (East Orleans, Mass.) defeated Benoit and Szepanski 8-1.

Dallaire and Saldarriaga put up the best battle but still fell to the No. 3 team of freshman Kylie Kam (Honolulu, Hawaii) and her classmate Jenny Quenard (St.-Legier, Switzerland) 8-4.

The only match of the day that the Bison won a set was No. 4 singles as Candia fell to Paolino 2-6, 6-2, 0-1 (8-10).

"Lauren Candia made a tremendous showing in the second match," said Brower. Her play in doubles was very solid against a top pair and she showed tremendous fight in her singles match."

Freeman defeated Judd at No. 1 singles 6-2, 6-1 and Akgul took down Szepanski 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 2 spot. No. 3 Quenard and No. 5 Ferraro won by the same score of 6-3, 6-1 against Benoit and Dallaire, respectively.

Freshman Claire Foster (Orange, Conn.) rounded out the evening defeating Saldarriaga 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.

"Overrall it was a solid day one, but we know we have a ton of work to do moving forward," said Brower.

The Bison host Wheaton (MA) on Tuesday at the Pomfret School in Pomfret, Conn. at 4:00 p.m. Babson travels to take on Springfield next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.