Courtesy Amherst Sports Information

AMHERST, Mass. - Williams jumped out to a 2-1 advantage over Middlebury after doubles play and rolled to an 8-1 victory on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2007 NESCAC Women's Tennis Championship.

Williams swept the singles competition, led by a trio of straight set wins from first-years Grace Balijon (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and Ashley Parsons (New Canaan, CT) and sophomore Annie Hancock (Syracuse, N.Y.). The Middlebury team of senior co-captain Amy Roche (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and junior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas) took an 8-5 win for the lone team point of the match for the Panthers.

The win sets up a rematch of the 2006 NESCAC Championship, which Amherst won 6-3 at Williams. The Lord Jeffs shared the conference title in 2004, and won it outright the past two seasons, and will look for the solo three-peat tomorrow at 1 p.m.

No. 4 Williams 8, vs. No. 1 Middlebury 1
1:00 p.m.

Doubles                  
1 - Amy Roche/Claire Smyser (Middlebury) def. Cary Gibson/Anne Schneidman (Williams) 8-5
2 - Allison Rottkamp/Grace Balijon (Williams) def. Clare Burke/Emily Holick (Middlebury) 8-6
3 - Ashley Parsons/Annie Hancock (Williams) def. Elizabeth Stone/Elizabeth Emery (Middlebury) 8-4

Singles
1 - Cary Gibson (Williams) def. Amy Roche (Middlebury) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
2 - Grace Balijon (Williams) def. Claire Smyser (Middlebury) 6-1, 6-1
3 - Ashley Parsons (Williams) def. Elizabeth Emery (Middlebury) 6-3, 6-1
4 - Allison Rottkamp (Williams) def. Elizabeth Stone (Middlebury) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
5 - Annie Hancock (Williams) def. Emily Holick (Middlebury) 6-4, 6-2
6 - Anne Schneidman (Williams) def. Clare Burke (Middlebury) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1