LEWISTON, Maine — The Bates College women's tennis team captured a tightly contested NESCAC victory Sunday afternoon, edging Trinity College, 4–3, at Merrill Gymnasium behind a dramatic match-clinching victory from
Lia Swire at No. 4 singles.
The Bobcats opened the afternoon by sweeping all three doubles matches to claim the opening team point.
Emelyn Harris and
Iris Westmoreland opened things with a 6–4 victory at No. 1 doubles, while
Isabella Saul and Swire paired for a 6–1 triumph at No. 2.
Elise Hepburn and
Grace LaFountain completed the sweep with a 6–4 decision at the No. 3 position.
Bates extended its advantage in singles play with dominant straight-set victories. Saul earned a 6–1, 6–3 decision at No. 2 singles, while Hepburn controlled her match at No. 3 with a 6–0, 6–1 performance, giving the Bobcats a 3–0 lead in the overall match score.
Trinity answered with wins at No. 1, No. 5, and No. 6 singles to pull even at 3–3, setting up a decisive showdown at the No. 4 position.
That contest produced the afternoon's most dramatic moment. Swire captured the opening set, 6–4, before Trinity's Kendall Cedar answered with a 6–4 second-set victory to force a deciding third. In a tense final set, Swire held her composure and prevailed, 7–5, sealing the match and delivering the clinching point for the Bobcats in the 4–3 victory.
"Great battle today and credit to Coach Louis and his Trinity team," said Bates head coach
Deepak Sharma. "I'm really proud of the way our squad responded. We had a few lineup curveballs, but the group stayed locked in and showed their unity and belief in each other. Mya, Grace, and Elise set the tone early, Bella steadied things in singles, and Lia showed incredible determination to grind out the clincher. So proud of her and this team for the determination they showed."
With the win, Bates improves to 2–6 overall and 1–1 in NESCAC play. Trinity remains winless 0-3 (0-1 NESCAC) after Sunday's heartbreaker.
The Bobcats return to action Saturday when they travel to face No. 6 Middlebury in an 11:00 a.m. conference match.
