Vassar College Athletics

SANTA BARBARA, CA (March 10, 2010) – Playing its third match in three days, the Vassar College women’s tennis team showed no sign of fatigue, with an 8-1 victory over Westmont College on Wednesday during the Brewers’ Spring Break trip to California.

The Brewers improve to 8-1 with their eighth straight win while Westmont falls to 3-6. Vassar, which is ranked No. 21 nationally and No. 6 in the Northeast Region in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll picked up Wednesday’s win over a Westmont team ranked No. 17 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Preseason Poll. Vassar has Thursday off before returning to action against No. 7 nationally ranked Pomona College on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Vassar’s sole loss came at No. 1 doubles, as the Westmont duo of Cassie Strange and Ilissa Mathews defeated the Brewer team of senior Nicole Pontee and sophomore Joy Backer, 8-4. It was the first loss of the spring season from Pontee and Backer, who are ranked No. 7 in the Northeast. However, Vassar responded with two solid doubles wins as sophomores Jennifer Beckerman and Nicole Block earned an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles, while freshman Natalie Santiago and junior Alyssa Roush swept their opponents at No. 3.

The Brewers carried that momentum into singles play, winning every match in two sets. Beckerman had a tight 6-4, 6-4 win over Mathews at No. 2 singles. Pontee and Block both avenged their doubles loss with singles wins, as Pontee defeated Strange at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-2 and Backer downed Tara Yekrang at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-1.

Vassar got two dominant wins at the bottom of the lineup, as freshman Jennifer Ruther gave up just one game in her win at No. 5 singles while Block swept her opponent at No. 6 singles.

Vassar 8, Westmont 1

Doubles
1. Cassie Strange / Ilissa Mathews (WC) def. Nicole Pontee/Joy Backer (VC) 8-4
2. Jennifer Beckerman /Nicole Block (VC) def. Tara Yekrang / Sarah Louie (WC) 8-3
3. Natalie Santiago /Alyssa Roush (VC) def. Sarah Chhum / Audrey Seversen (WC) 8-0

Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Cassie Strange (WC) 6-0, 6-2
2. Jennifer Beckerman (VC) def. Ilissa Mathews (WC) 6-4, 6-4
3. Joy Backer (VC) def. Tara Yekrang (WC) 6-2, 6-1
4. Natalie Santiago (VC) def. Sarah Louie (WC) 6-2, 6-4
5. Jennifer Ruther (VC) def. Sarah Chhum (WC) 6-1, 6-0
6. Nicole Block (VC) def. Hanna Day (WC) 6-0, 6-0
Exhibition:
7. Elizabeth Anderson (VC) def. Audrey Seversen (WC), 8-1
Order of Finish: Doubles, 3-1-2; Singles: 6,5,3,1,4,2