NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's tennis team opened up its 2014 New  England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) schedule with a 5-4 victory over Mount Holyoke College on Saturday afternoon at the Clark Tennis Courts.

In doubles action, senior Alexandra Marlowe (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View) and Amanda Brazell (Las Vegas, Nev./The Meadows School) earned a hard-fought 9-8 (7-4) triumph over Mount Holyoke's No. 1 pairing of Margaux Holloschutz (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Saddie River Day School) and Ishita Tibrewal (Kolktata, India/Modern High School for Girls). It was the first defeat of the season the MHC pair, who had entered the day sporting a 3-0 record.

Wheaton's No. 2 pairing of Izzy Gorham (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) and Caroline DiNicolaw-Fawley (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) breezed to an 8-2 win against Sarah Anischik (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) and Amy Chen (Hilo, Hawaii/Hilo) to enter singles play with a 2-1 advantage.

Marlowe went on to secure a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles versus Holloschutz, while Brazell posted an identical score at the No. 2 position against MHC's Anischiik. Wheaton junior Stassy Furber (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) wrapped up the victory at No. 6 singles with a comeback victory over Michelle Cai (Hong Kong, China/St. Paul's Co-Educational College) by a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 score to seal the match victory.

Wheaton (1-2, 1-0 NEWMAC) returns to action next Saturday against NEWMAC foe, Springfield College, at home with doubles scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Mount Holyoke (2-2, 0-1 NEWMAC) is also in action on Saturday, hosting Emerson College in a conference match at 1 p.m.

Follow Lyons Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Story courtesy of Shawn Medeiros, Wheaton Sports Information Director. Photo courtesy of Doug Keller.