SANTA BARBARA, CA (March 11, 2008) -- Vassar's women's tennis team made it two straight California wins this afternoon, posting a 6-3 victory over Westmont College. The Brewers improve to 7-1 on the season (4-0 in the spring), while Westmont falls to 6-3. Vassar is ranked No. 24 nationally in NCAA Division III play and Westmont is ranked No. 25 nationally in NAIA play. The Brewers will be at Pomona College on Wednesday for a 3:00 pm (PST) time match.

"It was a very exciting match and all three doubles matches were extremely close with lead changes back and forth between teams in each match," said head coach Kathy Campbell.

"I amm so proud of the way our team members stayed composed under pressure and actually raised their level of play at very close matches neared the end. We've acclimated quickly and well to the heat. This was our second consecutive 4 & 1/2 hour match in the hot sun. Westmont is an excellent team and its level of play was high throughout the line-up."

The Vassar doubles pairs stayed very tough to pull out two of the three matches. At first doubles, with Elysa Kliman serving at 6-7, she served with complete confidence to even the score at 7-7. Each team held serve one more time each to force a tiebreak which the Vassar pair won 7-4 to clinch the match.

Vassar entered the singles with a 2-1 margin and used its momentum and energy to establish a good start in the singles. At No. 1 singles Nicole Pontee stepped up her game, finding rhythm and improving her play from Monday's match. At 4-4 in the first set she broke her opponent to take a 5-4 lead and served out the set. Her momentum contined in the second set as she won 6-3 with crisp, attacking returns and aggressive ground strokes and volleys.

Following Pontee's victory, Vassar had a 3-1 match lead. Next, Alexis Jacobson won with consistent groundstrokes and attacking net play at opportune times. Kelly Barnett dropped her match, but the Brewers maintained a 4-2 lead. The three remaining singles matches all entered third sets with Vassar needing at least one of the three matches to claim the victory.

Kliman finished first of the three with a hard-fought 7-5 third set win. She played smart, aggressive tennis and was able to capture a large number of points at the net. Burks, at No. 6 singles, claimed Vassar's sixth point with a 6-3 third set victory and remained undfeated in singles this year.

Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VC) def. Lauren Combs (WC), 6-3, 6-4
2. Ilissa Mathews (WC) def. Kelly Barnett (VC), 6-2, 6-2
3. Elysa Kliman (VC) def. Erin McGurty (WC), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
4. Kristen Lee (WC) def. Krista Romita (VC), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
5. Alexandra Jacobson (VC) def. Christina Klein (WC), 6-3, 6-4
6. Courtney Burks (VC) def. Jennie Dunn (WC), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Exhibition scores:

7. Anna Molinari (WC) def. Elizabeth Anderson (VC), 6-1, 6-3
8. Caroline Dunn-Rankin (VC) def. Emily Hughes (WC), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1. Elysa Kliman/Krista Romita (VC) def. Lauren Combs/Erin McGurty (WC), 9-8
2. Ilissa Mathews/Jennie Dunn (WC) def. Nicole Pontee/Jamison Steele (VC), 8-6
3. Kelly Barnett/Courtney Burks (VC) def. Kristen Lee/Christina Klein (WC), 8-6

Exhibition Doubles
4.Alexis Jacobson/Elizabeth Anderson (VC) def. Molinari/Hughes (WC), 8-1