Springfield, Mass. – October 1, 2008 – The Springfield College women’s tennis team defeated Clark University, 8-1, this afternoon in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference match that was partially played indoors, making it an historical event of sorts on the Springfield College campus. It marked the first varsity event ever played in the brand new Springfield College Field House, which has been open for less than a month. In fact, the official ribbon-cutting ceremony opening three campus buildings — the new Field House, the new Wellness Center, and the new Athletic Training/Exercise Science Complex — took place just six days ago.
While Springfield tennis teams have played numerous matches indoors, the College has never hosted an indoor tennis match on campus. The new 93,820 square foot field house now allows for just such an event. Due to a sudden shower just before the match was scheduled to be played on SC’s Appleton Courts, the doubles matches were played indoors, with the Pride quickly opening up a 3-0 team lead.
With the weather improving outside, and with four courts sufficiently drying, both head coaches, Jamie Morrell of Springfield and Jim Hayes of Clark, agreed to play No. 1 through No. 4 singles outdoors, while No. 5 and No. 6 singles were played indoors.
In doubles, Springfield’s No. 1 team of senior captain Melissa Weinstein (Allentown, Pa.) and sophomore Amy Shaw (Walpole, Mass.) defeated sophomore Rebecca Friedberg (Hummelstown, Pa.) and junior Phoebe Livingston (Jamestown, R.I.), 8-3. Thus that duo registered the first varsity individual victory ever recorded in the building. At No. 2 doubles, the SC pair of junior Rachel Kushma (London, England) and sophomore Talya Pessolano (Springfield, Mass.) won by a score of 8-2 over freshman Julia Bergeron (Lewiston, Me.) and junior Andrea Nathan (Saddle River, N.J.). Finally, at No. 3, the Springfield duo of junior Funmi Olowookere (Woonsocket, R.I.) and sophomore Kyla Walgren (West Hartford, Conn.) won by a count of 8-3 over sophomore Emily Schweitzer (Northampton, Mass.) and senior Rebecca Good (Durham, Conn.).
Singles were decided in the following manor.
The No. 3 and No. 5 matches were determined in short order, thus giving Springfield the necessary five points to win the overall match. At No. 3, Kushma defeated Schweitzer, 6-2, 6-0, while at No. 5, Walgren defeated Livingston, 6-1, 6-2.
The rest did not come quite so easily, although Pessolano won her match at No. 6 by a score of 6-4, 6-1. Other SC victors included Shaw at No. 1 and Olowookere at No. 4, both in third-set super-tiebreakers.
The only victory for the Cougars came at No. 2 singles, where Bergeron came from behind to defeat Weinstein in a super-tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-4 (10-4).
With the win, Springfield upped its overall record to 2-3, and 1-2 in the NEWMAC. Clark is now 2-5, 0-3 in the conference.
The match began with doubles play.
Doubles
#1 Shaw/Weinstein (SC) def. Friedberg/Livingston (C), 8-3
#2 Kushma/Pessolano (SC) def. Bergeron/Nathan (C), 8-2
#3 Olowookere/Walgren (SC) def. Good/Schweitzer (C), 8-3
Singles
#1 Amy Shaw (SC) def. Rebecca Friedberg (C), 2-6, 6-3 (10-4 super tie-breaker)
#2 Julia Bergeron (C) def. Melissa Weinstein (SC), 4-6, 6-4 (10-4 super tie-breaker)
#3 Rachel Kushma (SC) def. Emily Schweitzer (C), 6-2, 6-0
#4 Funmi Olowookere (SC) def. Andrea Nathan (C), 6-1, 5-7 (10-6 super tie-breaker)
#5 Kyla Walgren (SC) def. Phoebe Livingston (C), 6-1, 6-2
#6 Talya Pessolano (SC) def. Rebecca Good (C), 6-4, 6-1
Records:
Springfield — 2-3, 1-2 NEWMAC
Clark — 2-5, 0-3 NEWMAC
