Tennis tops Springfield 5-4 in NEWMAC opener

Kirat Kaur won at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles as Mount Holyoke defeated Springfield College 5-4 in a NEWMAC match on March 23, 2024. (RJB Sports file photo)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College tennis team scored its first win over NEWMAC rival Springfield since 2018 on Saturday, beating the visiting Pride 5-4 in the MHC Indoor Tennis Courts in the conference opener for both teams.

Mount Holyoke rose to 7-2 on the season and 1-0 in NEWMAC play with their fourth straight victory. The Lyons will look to keep the streak going on Wednesday at 5:30pm against Babson.

The Lyons took doubles points with 8-3 wins at both first and second doubles, while the Pride won 8-3 at third doubles. That 2-1 lead carried the Lyons into the eventual win, as they split singles play 3-3 with the Pride (0-6, 0-1 NEWMAC).

Junior Annika Chai (London, England) and sophomore Kirat Kaur (Chandigarh, India) teamed up to defeat Alyssa Elliott and Jomkwan Vettayawaikoon 8-3 at No. 1 doubles. At second doubles, sophomore Cal Smith (Bridgewater, Mass.) and first-year Rachel Allen (Mary Esther, Fla.) defeated Ramida Manataweewat and Katelyn Rosselli 8-3. At third doubles, Veronica Fulgieri and Natalia Peyon won 8-3 over Mount Holyoke sophomores Kate Vavra (Weston, Mass.) and Kennedy Bagley-Fortner (Montclair, N.J.).

The first three singles matches decided went Mount Holyoke's way, clinching the Lyons' team win with three singles still in play. Kaur defeated Manataweewat at No. 2 singles to complete a 2-0 day. Allen dispatched Fulgieri at No. 3 singles, and first-year Natali Kostadinovic (Pirot, Serbia) sewed up the win with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Emma Aberle at sixth singles, in Kostadinovic's official collegiate debut.

The Pride prevailed at fourth, fifth and first singles, going to a third-set tiebreaker in all three cases.

Mount Holyoke 5, Springfield 4
March 23, 2024 at MHC Indoor Courts

Doubles
1. Annika Chai/Kirat Kaur (MHC) def. Alyssa Elliott/Jomkwan Vettayawaikoon (S) 8-3
2. Cal Smith/Rachel Allen (MHC) def. Ramida Manataweewat/Katelyn Rosselli (S) 8-3
3. Veronica Fulgieri/Natalia Peyon (S) def. Kate Vavra/Kennedy Bagley-Fortner (MHC) 8-3

Singles
1. Vettayawaikoon (S) def. Chai (MHC) 6-3, 6-7(4), [10-3]
2. Kaur (MHC) def. Manataweewat (S) 7-6(0), 6-0
3. Allen (MHC) def. Fulgieri (S) 6-2, 7-5
4. Elliott (S) def. Smith (MHC) 6-2, 5-7, [10-4]
5. Kelly McGoldrick (S) def. Vavra (MHC) 6-2, 5-7, [12-10]
6. Natali Kostadinovic (MHC) def. Emma Aberle (S) 6-3, 6-2