2017-18 Tennis Year In Review

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Guided by 25th-year head coach Aldo Santiago, the Mount Holyoke College tennis team finished with an overall record of 8-11, going 5-3 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action. The Lyons earned the fourth seed in the conference tournament to make their 14th consecutive playoff appearance.

MHC opened the season up with a dominant 9-0 victory on the road against Simmons College, snapping the Shark's four-match win-streak. First year Anya Gerasimova defeated her opponent 6-0, 6-0 from #4 singles to earn her first collegiate victory in singles action.

The next weekend, the Lyons split the squad for action at both the ITA New England Regional Championships and the Tennis Hall of Fame Tournament. MHC shouldered tough losses at the ITA Regionals, but senior captain Ishita Tibrewal and junior Madison Rosen earned an opening-round win on the famed grass courts in Newport. Also earning a win at the Hall of Fame was junior Clara Wang and senior captain Katherine Schumacher, who captured a quarterfinals victory. Both pairs advanced to the semifinals, but ultimately fell to duos from Assumption College.

Mount Holyoke concluded its fall action, hosting the NEWITT Tournament. After day one, Rosen advanced to the quarterfinals in the C draw with an 8-0 victory in mixed doubles, but shouldered a tough loss in the following round. Gerasimova and sophomore Catherine Peabody picked up a victory to advance to the consolation semifinals, where they lost, 6-2.

The Lyons began the spring semester with a third-place finish at the Seven Sisters Championship, recording wins against Bryn Mawr and Smith. Both Peabody and Wang were named to the All-Seven Sisters Team for their efforts.

March was rough for MHC as it faced several nationally ranked teams, but the Lyons closed the month out with a strong 8-1 victory over Emerson College in the NEWMAC opener. Junior Joy Maran had a clean 6-0, 6-0 victory from #5 singles, while Peabody and Gerasimova cruised to an 8-0 win at second doubles.

After dropping a match to then-#17 Babson, the Lyons rebounded against Springfield with a solid 5-4 triumph. Gerasimova sealed the match with a come-from-behind 4-5, 7-5, 6-1 victory at #4 singles. After facing a loss to then-#13 MIT, MHC once again bounced back to take down Clark, 8-1. Both Peabody and Gerasimova defeated their opponents 6-0, 6-0 in singles, while Rosen and Maran won #3 doubles, 8-0.

The Lyons shouldered a narrow loss to nationally ranked Wellesley at home, but again emerged victorious in the following match with a 9-0 victory at Smith to conclude the regular season. Mount Holyoke advanced into the NEWMAC Quarterfinals as the fourth seed, hosting fifth-seeded Wheaton for the third straight season. The match came down to fifth singles, where the visitors prevailed in the third set for a 5-4 win.

Overall, Peabody led singles action with a 12-6 record. She was 6-2 in NEWMAC action, going 10-3 from #3 singles this season, while also finishing the year on a four-match win streak. Her efforts on the season helped her garner NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team honors in singles action. Gerasimova also finished the year with a positive record, going 9-8. She went 7-6 from #4, while finishing with a 2-0 mark at #3 singles to conclude the year. Both Peabody and Gerasimova led the team in doubles action with a 13-5 record, including a 6-2 mark against NEWMAC opponents.