Hawks Soar Past Women's Tennis

MILTON, Mass. – The Roger Williams women's tennis team swept doubles play and never looked back, defeating Wentworth, 8-1, in a Commonwealth Coast Conference match played Curry College's Big Nine Courts. The win locks up the number three seed for the Hawks in the upcoming CCC Women's Tennis Tournament.

Sophomore Alexandra Reilly (North Easton, Mass.) and freshman Alexandra Brown (Kennett, Mo.) got things started for the Hawks, taking an 8-0 at number three doubles over the Leopards Virginia Ofer (Cooperstown, N.Y.) and Lana Ho (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) Roger Williams won at number two as senior Kristin Dono (West Boylston, Mass.) and junior Olivia Hilton (Vernon, Conn.) doubled up sophomore Deborah Massaro (Stony Point, N.Y.) and junior Jillian Flynn (Billerica, Mass.), 8-4. The visitors completed the sweep with an 8-4 win at number one as senior Amanda Wolfe (Mansfield, Mass.) teamed with classmate Samantha Curran (Lakeville, Mass.) to defeat senior Joanna Gustafson (Ashburnham, Mass.) and junior Sophie Boyce (South Portland, Maine).

Gustafson claimed a win at number one singles when her opponent was forced to retire due to an injury, cutting the Hawks' lead to 3-1. However a 6-1, 6-2 win at number two by sophomore Hillary Dutton (Cheshire, Conn.) over sophomore Olivia Hegner (Medford, Mass.) and a 6-0, 6-1 win by senior Caitlin Osepchuck (Ocean Grove, N.J.)  at number three clinched the match for Roger Williams.

Reilly defeated Ofer, 6-1, 6-1 at number five, while Brown defeated Ho, 6-1, 6-2, at number six to increase the lead to 7-1. Hilton and Flynn battled to three sets, with Hilton taking a 6-1 win in the opening set and Flynn tying the match with a 6-4 win in the second set. Going to a third set for the fourth time this season, Flynn dropped a 10-8 decision in the tiebreaker.

Winners of five in a row, Roger Williams improves to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in CCC play. The Hawks host sixth-seeded Western New England on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2011 CCC Women's Tennis Tournament. Wentworth falls to 3-7 overall and 2-6 in league play. The Leopards narrowly missed qualifying for the post-season by one match and travel to Emmanuel on Thursday evening.

Singles competition
1. Joanna Gustafson (WIT) def. Samantha Curran (RWU) 4-3, retired
2. Hillary Dutton (RWU) def. Olivia Hegner (WIT) 6-1, 6-2
3. Caitlin Osepchuk (RWU) def. Deborah Massaro (WIT) 6-0, 6-1
4. Olivia Hilton (RWU) def. Jillian Flynn (WIT) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8)
5. Alexandra Reilly (RWU) def. Virginia Ofer (WIT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Alexandra Brown (RWU) def. Lana Ho (WIT) 6-1, 6-2

 Doubles competition
1. Amanda Wolfe/Libby Magner (RWU) def. Joanna Gustafson/Sophie Boyce (WIT) 8-4
2. Kristin Dono/Olivia Hilton (RWU) def. Deborah Massaro/Jillian Flynn (WIT) 8-4
3. Alexandra Reilly/Alexandra Brown (RWU) def. Virginia Ofer/Lana Ho (WIT) 8-0

Match Notes:
Roger Williams 8-3, 6-2 CCC
Wentworth 3-7, 2-6 CCC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,2,3,5,6,4)