MEDFORD, Mass. – First-year
Margarette Berdy overcame a one-set deficit to win at No. 5 singles to clinch a 4-3 win for the 14th-ranked Washington and Lee women's tennis team over No. 13 Tufts on Friday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Berdy wasn't the only one to come back to win on Friday, as the Generals (17-2) were swept in doubles play to open the match, giving the Jumbos (12-5) the 1-0 lead. Two of the doubles matches, however, were decided by just two games each.
- Things were looking up for the Generals to start singles, as they claimed three of the six first sets. However, Tufts struck first when Rachel Cranley got a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 2 for a 2-0 team lead.
- Senior Lauren Long got W&L on the board with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1, before first-year Sarah Ladd outlasted Alyssa Khou in a second-set tiebreak to claim a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win to even the team score.
- Sophomore Allie Murrell was one of the first-set winners for the Generals, but she needed three sets to put the team one win away from the win. Murrell cruised in the third set for a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 final.
- Berdy won just two games in her first set, but fired back to win the second set by a 6-3 score, before she matched that result in the third to seal the Generals' 17th win of the season.
- The Jumbos got their final team point at No. 3 singles. Sophomore Sarah Donnelly gutted it out after missing the previous day's match due to injury, and still forced Melanie Woodbury, the 36th-ranked player in Division III, to go the distance. The final score read 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 for Woodbury.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Long picked up a key win at No. 1, as her opponent, Lucy Mitchell, is ranked No. 43 in the current ITA Division III singles rankings. Long's win improved her to 10-3 overall.
- Berdy tied Lorenz for the most singles wins this season (13), and Berdy's mark at No. 5 singles improved to 4-2.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return to the courts for the ODAC quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 29. The opponent and start time for the match are to be determined. Regular season play in the ODAC will wrap up on Saturday, and the ODAC will announce seedings in the days following.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
