SWARTHMORE, PA - Franklin & Marshall College swept the doubles matches and recorded a victory at #5 singles, but Swarthmore's Sonia Vallabh rallied to a 6-3, 6-4 win at #6 to give the Garnet Tide a 5-4 victory in Centennial Conference women's tennis action.
The win almost certainly clinches the 2005 Centennial Conference title for Swarthmore (10-5, 8-0 Centennial Conference) as a Franklin & Marshall victory would have given the Garnet Tide, the Diplomats and Muhlenberg College each a share of the title.
Franklin & Marshall rolled through the doubles matches as the team of Barbara Bee (So., Millersville, PA/Penn Manor) and Kate Gaskins (So., Richmond, VA/Mills Goodwin) edged Sonya Reynolds and Marissa Matthews 8-6 in the #1 match. In #2, Lizzy Denenberg (Jr., Wilmington, DE/Sanford) and Jenna Ishkanian (Fr., Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) dominated Emily Townsend and Waverly Lutz 8-3 before Maria Papalia (Sr., Chatham, NJ/Chatham) and Beth Conner (Sr., Leawood, KS/Shawnee Mission East) knocked off Jenna Adelberg and Sara Sargent 8-6 in the #3 match as the Diplomats swept doubles.
Swarthmore evened the match and rallied for the victory in singles as Reynolds defeated Gaskins 6-2, 6-4 at #1 and Papalia fell to Elli Suzuki 6-0, 6-0 at #2. The Garnet managed victories at #4 and #6 as well as Emily Townsend defeated Conner 6-1, 6-2 and Vallabh handled Christina Henkel (Fr., Hatboro, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) 6-3, 6-4 at #6 for the 5-4 tally.
For Franklin & Marshall, Denenberg won a see-saw battle with Erica Lukoski taking the match 7-6 (3), 7-5.
The loss drops F&M to 22-11 all-time against Swarthmore as the Garnet has captured the last two meetings between the programs.
Franklin & Marshall (10-3, 6-2 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on April 23 at home versus Bryn Mawr College. Match time is set for 11:00 a.m.
Swarthmore 5, F&M 4
Doubles
1. Bee & Gaskins (F&M) def. Reynolds & Marissa Matthews (S), 8-6
2. Denenberg & Jenna Ishkanian (F&M) def. Townsend & Waverly Lutz (S), 8-3
3. Papalia & Conner (F&M) def. Jenna Adelberg & Sargent (S), 8-6
Singles
1. Sonya Reynolds (S) def. Katie Gaskins (F&M), 6-2, 6-4
2. Elli Suzuki (S) def. Marie Papalia (F&M), 6-0, 6-0
3. Sara Sargent (S) def. Barbara Bee (F&M), 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
4. Emily Townsend (S) def. Beth Conner (F&M), 6-1, 6-2
5. Lizzy Denenberg (F&M) def. Erica Lukoski (S), 7-6 (3), 7-5
6. Sonia Vallabh (S) def. Christina Henkel (F&M), 6-3, 6-4
