ORLANDO – The Haverford College women's tennis team ran its spring record to 5-1 overall with two more victories, making it five straight wins in Florida. The Fords opened their Thursday doubleheader with an upset victory over Berry. Berry (4-1) came into the match ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South Region, while the Fords were 15th in that same release. Haverford then closed the day with a 9-0 sweep against Illinois Wesleyan.
Haverford needed a slight comeback to pull off the upset bid against regionally-ranked Berry. The Fords trailed 2-1 after doubles, but took the first four completed singles matches to clinch the 5-4 victory. Caitlin Gallagher and Robyn Himelstein garnered the Fords' doubles point with an 8-4 victory as the No. 1 pairing. Greta Koch and Abby Payson fell 8-5 in the middle doubles set, while the Fords were forced to retire from No. 3 doubles.
Kristen Andersen was the first singles match to finish up. Her 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles evened the team score. After a tough defeat in doubles, Koch (No. 2 singles) pulled through in another tight set by winning the opener 7-6 (5). With the 1-0 lead in sets, Koch cruised in the second to a 6-1 victory for the straight set win.
Jessica Liu put the Fords on the brink of the upset victory with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 5. After earning a doubles point with Himelstein, Gallagher also claimed the top singles point for Haverford. Gallagher's 6-1, 6-3 victory clinched the team win for the Fords. With the team score decided, Berry took the third and fourth singles to bring the score closer. Himelstein nearly added an insurance point to the Fords' total before coming up just two points short in the tiebreak. Payson also made her opponent work for the 7-5, 6-3 match at No. 4.
After the nail-biting opener against Haverford's regionally-ranked peer, the Fords left no doubt from the opening serve against Illinois Wesleyan. Not only did the Fords sweep all nine matches, they allowed just four games combined over all three doubles matches and an additional four games in all six singles contests.
Gallagher and Himelstein were the beneficiaries of an 8-1 win at the No. 1 singles, moving to 4-2 with their fourth straight victory in that spot. Koch and Payson bounced back with an 8-0 win at No. 2, also earning their fourth doubles win together this spring. Abigail Healy and Caroline Steliotes paired up for the first time this season at No. 3 doubles, winning 8-3.
Haverford had three different singles players (Gallagher, Payson, and (Andersen) not allow a single game in their straight set victories. In addition to her doubles winning streak, the Fords' No. 1 singles player has also won five straight in singles. Payson matched her teammate with her fifth win of the year at No. 4, while Andersen came out strong in her first top six singles action of the spring.
Liu and Himelstein allowed their singles opposition just one game during the straight set wins for each. Liu's victory leaves her as the only Haverford player at a perfect 6-0 to start the spring. She is 7-1 overall dating back to the fall. Himelstein is now 5-1 at No. 3 this spring. Koch surrendered just two games at No. 2 singles as she has won five straight in Florida.
Women's tennis has two more matches on the Florida slate before its return to campus. The Fords will battle Colorado College and Connecticut College Friday as Haverford will be looking to finish a perfect 7-0 in the Sunshine State.