CARLISLE, Pa. - The Haverford College women's tennis team recorded its fourth 9-0 sweep of the season Saturday with a solid team effort at Dickinson. The 9-0 win was the Fords (12-3, 5-2 CC) second such victory during Centennial Conference play.
Haverford's staunchest competition of the day came during doubles play. However, the Fords were able to start the day off right with three straight victories. Those same six players seemingly got stronger as the day wore on and also accounted for points in each of the top six singles matches.
Caitlin Gallagher and Robyn Himelstein teamed up for their 10th win together this spring at No. 1 doubles. Haverford's top duo is now 4-2 in Centennial Conference play together. Both Gallagher and Himelstein carried that momentum into their singles victories at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. Himelstein was one of three Haverford players to earn their 12th singles win of the year today, while Gallagher earned her ninth win of the spring.
At the top singles position, Gallagher found herself locked in a back-and-fourth first set. Tied at five and six-all, she pulled through in the first set tiebreak by a 7-4 score. With the momentum of that tiebreak, Gallagher rolled through the next six games, blanking her opponent in the second for a straight set win. Himelstein opened her match with a 6-0 blanking at No. 3 singles. She then capped of her straight win with a 6-2 second set.
Greta Koch and Jessica Liu played the most tightly contested doubles match of the afternoon at No. 2. Tied at seven-all after splitting their first 14 games, Liu and Koch held serve and broke serve to record a 9-7 victory in the second position. Koch and Liu now have three wins together this spring.
Playing at No. 2 singles, Koch conceded just four games to her opponent during a 6-3, 6-1 victory. The Fords' freshman now has 11 wins on the season, just one off the pace of Haverford's tri-leaders. Liu opened with a 6-2 win before wrapping her afternoon with a 6-3 win in her second set at No. 5 singles. Liu also has 12 wins this year.
Abby Payson and Kristen Andersen were 8-6 winners at the No. 3 doubles position on Saturday. That Haverford pairing picked up its third win in just four chances together during the spring. Each of those four contests in which Payson and Andersen have teamed up have come in Centennial Conference play.
Andersen parlayed that success in doubles over to her singles play. She allowed just one game in the opening set during her 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 6 singles. Andersen's win now makes her 6-1 overall in singles this spring. Payson won No. 4 singles by a 6-1, 6-4 margin. With her latest victory, she joins Himelstein and Liu as the three players with 12 singles victories this spring.
Women's tennis returns to campus for its next two matches over the course of two weeks. Washington College comes to town Wednesday evening for a 4 p.m. match during the upcoming week. The following Thursday, April 23 will be the Hood Trophy battle with Swarthmore to close out the home portion of the regular season schedule.