Women’s Tennis Hosts Final Fall Matches

The Middlebury women’s tennis team hosted a group of Division I programs at the Panther Team Cup this weekend.

Underclass duo Lok Sze Leung ’15 and Ria Gerger ’16 defeated Marissa Aviles and Maria Bernandez from Providence College 2-0 in the finals.

The tournament worked in an unusual format in which teams competed in iterated pairs. Each match was contested three times: first in two separate singles matches, and finally in a doubles match. A total of three points — one for each contest — was possible in each match.

After Leung and Gerger won their separate singles matches, taking two out of the possible three points to confirm the win, the final doubles match was not played.

Though only Leung and Gerger emerged, a strong group advanced to the quarterfinal round Leah Kepping ’13 and Sarah Macy ’15 fell to the finalists from Providence in the quarterfinal, 3-0.

Dorrie Paradies ’14 and Lauren Amos ’16 lost to a duo from Army 2-1 in the quarterfinals. In another quarterfinal Margot Marchese ’16 and Katie Paradies ’15 lost to the champions, their teammates Leung and Gerger, 3-0.

The tournament, the last of the fall season for the Panther women, featured teams from Providence College, the United States Military Academy, Albany University and Siena College.

“This weekend was refreshing because we were able to compete against different players instead of the usual NESCAC teams we encounter during the season,” said Kepping.

The event simulated in miniature the team-play dual match format that will be in effect in future matches. In the spring the Panthers will play a long season of dual matches against NESCAC teams and other Division III programs from around the country, culminating in a NCAA Championship in May.