Women's Tennis Handles UMass in Spring Season Opener

Samantha Gridley helped the Crimson to a season opening victory over UMass with wins in singles and doubles Sunday (photo courtesy Gil Talbot). 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women's tennis team, ranked No. 63 in the most recent Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings, opened its spring season with a 6-1 win over in-state rival Massachusetts Sunday afternoon at the Murr Center.

The Crimson opened an early lead, winning the doubles point with a clean sweep of all three matches. Hideko Tachibana and Kristin Norton, who are ranked No. 25 in the nation amongst doubles tandems, set the pace as they breezed past Yuliana Motyl and Chantal Swiszcz in the No. 1 doubles spot, 8-2. It was the Crimson's second win over Motyl and Swiszcz after Harvard's top pair downed the duo from UMass, 8-3, at the Harvard Fall Classic flight 'A' finals during the fall season.

Hannah Morrill and Natalie Blosser won 8-1 in the No. 2 doubles position, while Sam Gridley and Camille Jania finished the doubles sweep with an 8-5 win at No. 3.

Harvard continued its winning ways in singles, taking five of six matches on the day. All Crimson winners won in straight sets, as none of the six matches needed a deciding third set. Tachibana led the way at No. 1, defeating Sonia Bokhari, 6-1, 7-5, while Norton and Jania dominated in positions No. 2 and No. 3. The 2-3 combo combined to surrender three games during the two matches.

Gridley and Sylvia Li accounted for Harvard's final two wins in the No. 4 and No. 6 positions, respectively. After a challenging 7-5 win in the first set, Gridley came back to easily take the second set, 6-1, over Jessica Podlofsky. Li was a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Chantal Swiszcz.

The Crimson continues its spring non-conference slate when it travels to Maryland Feb. 4.

1. Tachibana/Norton (H) defeated Motyl/Swiszcz (M) 8-2
2. Morrill/Blosser (H) defeated Onaga/Bokhari (M) 8-1
3. Gridley/Jania (H) defeated Podlofsky/Glasper (M) 8-5

1. Hideko Tachibana (H) defeated Sonia Bokhari (M) 6-1, 7-5
2. Kristin Norton (H) defeated Yuliana Motyl (M) 6-0, 6-1
3. Camille Jania (H) defeated Julia Comas (M) 6-0, 6-2
4. Samantha Gridley (H) defeated Jessica Podlofsky (M) 7-5, 6-1
5. Chanel Glasper (M) defeated Hannah Morrill (H) 7-5, 6-2
6. Sylvia Li (H) defeated Chantal Swiszcz (M) 6-3, 6-4