Meg Anderson '12 won her matches at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles to propel the Bobcats.

WATERVILLE, Maine -- The Bates College women's tennis team edged rival Colby 5-4 on Tuesday in the NESCAC conference opener for both teams, taking two out of three doubles matches and splitting the singles competition.

The Bobcats stayed unbeaten this year at 5-0 and reversed last season's result against the Mules, a 5-4 loss on April 24, 2009.

Colby dropped to 3-2, 0-1 in NESCAC play.

Bates senior Alex Piacquad (Yardley, Pa.) and sophomore Meg Anderson (Cohasset, Mass.) topped Katie Muto and Caroline Reaves 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, while sophomore Erika Blauth (Camden, Maine) and first-year Katie Helfgott (Newton, Mass.) won 8-4 at No. 3 doubles. Preserving the team win with victories in their singles matches were Anderson at No. 2, Helfgott at No. 4 and first-year Nicole Russell (Boca Raton, Fla.) at No. 6.

Bates will host Brandeis in a non-conference match on Saturday at 4 p.m.

For more on this story and what's going on with the Bates tennis teams, please catch up with us on the team blog at http://batestennis.wordpress.com/

Bates 5, Colby 4

Doubles

1. Katie Muto/Caroline Reaves lost to Alex Piacquad/Meg Anderson 8-3

2. Tara Davidson/Katie Brezinski def. Nicole Russell/Ashley Brunk 8-5

3. Kathryn Vergeyle/Julie Achenbaum lost to Erika Blauth/Katie Helfgott 8-4

Singles

1. Muto def. Piacquad 1-6, 6-2, 6-4

2. Reaves lost to Anderson 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

3. Brezinski lost to Helfgott 6-3, 2-6, 6-0

4. Davidson def. Brunk 6-3, 6-2

5. Vergeyle def. Blauth 6-2, 6-4

6. Love lost to Russell 6-2, 6-4