Dukes Drop 5-2 Decision to Williams College in Home Opener

Wednesday, March 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

Williams College

Dukes Drop 5-2 Decision to Williams College in Home Opener

3/25/2015 7:37:00 PM | Women's Tennis

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women's tennis dropped a 5-2 decision to Williams College in the Dukes' home opener at Hillside Courts on Wednesday afternoon after the Ephs won five of six singles matches.

JMU fell to 8-6 this spring while Williams improved to 5-0 on the season.

The Dukes earned a 1-0 lead coming out of doubles as senior Taylor Pinchoff and sophomore Alex Huie defeated Maria Pylypiv and Julia Cancio 8-6 at the No. 1 position. After trailing 5-4, the Dukes won the next two games to take a lead they would never relinquish. No. 3 doubles went the way of the Ephs as Rebecca Curran and Maya Hart picked up an 8-6 win over sophomores Rachel Nelson and Emily Bradshaw.

Freshman Kimmy Herrock and sophomore Rebecca Harris clinched the doubles point for JMU with a come-from-behind tiebreaker victory over Linda Shin and Juli Raventos at the No. 2 position. After trailing Williams for most of the match, the Dukes won three straight games to knot it at 7-all. In the tiebreaker, the Dukes battled the Ephs to an 8-7(7) win.

Bradshaw fell in straight sets (6-1, 6-0) at No. 6 singles to Mia Gancayco in the first completed singles match, knotting the score at 1-all. Huie, however, quickly regained the lead for JMU by beating Curran 7-5, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Huie trailed 3-4 in the second set before winning three straight games to take the victory.

Down 2-1, Williams won the last four singles matches to clinch the team victory. Cancio defeated Herrock at No. 5 singles 6-1, 7-5 and never trailed in the match. Pylypiv then took down Pinchoff in three hard fought sets at No. 1 singles 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Freshman Dylan Owens fell to Shin in three sets at No. 3 singles as the Ephs clinched match point. After winning the first set 6-2, Owens dropped the next two by the same score. Raventos ended the day by defeating Nelson 6-1, 7-6 at No. 2 singles. Nelson led 5-4 in the second set, but Raventos rallied to win the tiebreaker 7-3 and round out the day's scoring.

JMU next hits the road for a pair of CAA contests. The Dukes begin at Delaware on Saturday, March 28 at 4 p.m. before heading to Drexel on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m.