NEW LONDON, N.H. - First-year
Julia Stein (Hamburg, Germany/Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums) fought off three match points in the third set before completing her college debut with a tiebreaker victory to deliver the Saint Michael's College women's tennis team a season-opening 4-3 win over Colby-Sawyer College on Thursday at the Kelsey Courts. The contest was a scrimmage for the Chargers, who qualified for 11 of the past 13 NCAA Division III Tournaments.
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RECORDS
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Senior Emma Gredenhag (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny), 2 wins
- Stein, 1 win (1st career)
- Junior Katie Rocha (Stratham, N.H./Exeter), 1 win
- Sophomore Olivia Larsen (Riverview, New Brunswick/Riverview), 1 win
- Sophomore Ana Maria Ricaurte (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Colegio Alemán Humboldt de Guayaquil), 1 win
THE ACTION
- The Chargers took the opening doubles point thanks to 6-2 victories in the No. 1 and 3 spots, claiming a 1-0 edge in the match.
- Gredenhag and Ricaurte salvaged a 6-4 win in the second position during their first match as partners.
- Colby-Sawyer won at No. 6 singles to lead 2-0 before the Purple Knights drew even thanks to Larsen (7-5, 6-1) and Gredenhag (6-1, 6-3) taking wins in the first and second spots, respectively.
- A straight-set Charger win at No. 3 put the hosts back in front, 3-2.
- Rocha rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win in the fifth position to tie the match and set up Stein's dramatic triumph. In her college debut, the rookie captured a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) comeback win at No. 4, fighting off three match points while down 5-4 in the third set to force the tiebreaker.
NEXT MATCH
- Saturday vs. Southern New Hampshire University, 1 p.m.
