Courtesy Amherst Sports Information

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Williams earned a 5-2 victory over Tufts Friday afternoon in the first round of the 2007 NESCAC Women's Tennis Championship. The Ephs advance to face top-seeded Middlebury on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. 

Williams held a 2-1 advantage over the Jumbos after doubles play, dropping only the top match-up. Tufts would put up a tough fight in the singles matches, but would lose three matches in straight sets to eventually be eliminated.

Williams grabbed the necessary wins from the number two, four and six matches. First-year Eph Grace Balijon (Pointe Vedra Beach, Fla.) took away a team point in the number two bout, winning 6-3, 7-5 over Tufts' Meghan McCooey (Cuberland, R.I.).

Also winning in straight sets to close the match were Williams juniors Allison Rottkamp (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and Anne Schneiderman (Sherborn, Mass.).

Middlebury took the first meeting between the two this season with a narrow 5-4 win. Tomorrow's semifinal match is set to begin play at 1 p.m. at Amherst College, but should rain force the teams inside, play will begin following the men's semifinals at Mt. Holyoke College.

No. 4 Williams 5, vs. No. 5 Tufts 2
3:00 p.m. at Mt. Holyoke College

Doubles                  
1 - Jennifer Luten/Kylyn Deary (Tufts) def. Cary Gibson/Anne Schneidman (Williams) 8-1
2 - Grace Balijon/Allison Rottkamp (Williams) def. Andrea Cenko/Meghan McCooey (Tufts) 8-1
3 - Annie Hancock/Ashley Parsons (Williams) def. Mari Homma/Erica Miller (Tufts) 8-0 

Singles
1 -  Jennifer Luten (Tufts) vs. Cary Gibson (Williams) 6-1, 3-6, 4-3 (DNF)
2 - Grace Balijon (Williams) def. Meghan McCooey (Tufts) 6-3, 7-5
3 - Andrea Cenko (Tufts) def. Ashley Parsons (Williams) 7-6 (7-4), 2-1 (ret.)
4 - Allison Rottkamp (Williams) def. Silvia Schmid (Tufts) 6-2, 6-4
5 - Annie Hancock (Williams) vs. Kylyn Deary (Tufts) 7-6 (7-4), 3-1 (DNF)
6 - Anne Schneidman (Williams) def. Mari Homma (Tufts) 6-2, 6-2