HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's tennis team was edged out by a 6-3 score against visiting Washington College Wednesday evening. The Fords (12-4, 5-3 CC), ranked No. 12 in the latest ITA Atlantic South Region rankings, picked up wins at No. 2 doubles and Nos. 2 and 3 singles vs. the Shorewomen (10-2, 5-1 CC).
Greta Koch won both her singles and doubles matches for the Fords during the conference matchup against the No. 10 team in the Atlantic South Region. Koch started her day with an 8-5 win in the middle doubles pairing with Jessica Liu. The pairing of Koch and Liu is now 4-3 on the season with all of their wins coming in this position.
Koch carried that momentum from doubles into her match at No. 2 singles. After splitting the first 12 games in the opening set, she won seven of the nine tiebreaker points to get the early jump. She recorded a convincing 6-2 win in the second set for her 12th victory of the year in just 15 matches.
Playing right behind her in the order, Robyn Himelstein pulled through in a three-set match for the Fords' third team point of the evening. Himelstein now has a team-leading 13 wins on the season after Wednesday's contest. The Fords' junior turned the tables on her opponent by reversing a 6-2 score in her favor during the second set. She then capped her victory with a 6-3 win in the decisive set.
Haverford also had close calls at No. 1 singles and No. 4 singles. Abby Payson fell in a 10-point tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets with her opponent at No. 4 singles. She dropped a hard-fought 7-5 opening set, but bounced back with a 6-2 win in the second. Payson came up just shy in the tiebreaker by a 10-8 score. Playing the No. 16 player in the region at No. 1 singles, Caitlin Gallagher dropped a pair of 6-4 sets at the top slot.
Women's tennis will return to its home courts next Thursday against rival Swarthmore. That home date is slated for a 4 p.m. start. The final home match of the regular season will also be Senior Day for the program.