MIDDLEBURY, VT. — The #19 Amherst College women's tennis team fell 5–2 to #11 Middlebury on Saturday at the Middlebury Tennis Courts, dropping to 8–5 overall after a hard-fought road match against one of the NESCAC's top teams. Amherst showed flashes throughout the afternoon, especially in singles, where the Mammoths picked up both of their points, but Middlebury's depth and grit in third sets ultimately made the difference.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Amherst's bright spot in doubles came at #1, where Lily Dounchis and Cody Huang earned a strong 6–3 win over Elsie Van Wieren and Anna Lardner, giving the Mammoths their lone doubles win. The other two doubles courts went to Middlebury, with the Panthers taking #2 and #3 to secure the 1–0 lead heading into singles.
• In singles, Tina She delivered one of Amherst's best performances of the day at #1, pushing Elsie Van Wieren to three sets before falling 4–6, 6–4, 5–7 in a match that stayed tight all the way through. Sophie Diop was sharp at #2, cruising past Anna Lardner 6–4, 6–3 to earn Amherst's first singles point, while Cody Huang added the second with a straight-sets 6–2, 6–2 win over Lulu Wu at #3. Middlebury, though, took the remaining three courts to close out the match and protect its top-15 standing.

RESULTS (2–5, L):

DOUBLES:
1. Lily Dounchis / Cody Huang (A) def. Elsie Van Wieren / Anna Lardner (M), 6–3
2. Lulu Wu / Ananya Annapantula (M) def. Tina She / Karolina Dobiecka (A), 6–4
3. Ren Barton / Diya Pachamuthu (M) def. Sophie Diop / Greta Stechschulte (A), 6–0
SINGLES:
1. Elsie Van Wieren (M) def. Tina She (A), 6–4, 4–6, 7–5
2. Sophie Diop (A) def. Anna Lardner (M), 6–4, 6–3
3. Cody Huang (A) def. Lulu Wu (M), 6–2, 6–2
4. Ren Barton (M) def. Greta Stechschulte (A), 6–2, 1–6, 6–3
5. Charlotte McCann (M) def. Rachel Roth (A), 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
6. Elizabeth Doak (M) def. Maddie Swire (A), 6–1, 4–6, 6–4

UP NEXT
Amherst now turns right around for another major NESCAC test, traveling to Williams on Sunday at 11 a.m. for a Little Three rivalry matchup. The Mammoths will look to bounce back quickly after Saturday's loss and finish the weekend with a statement result against another top conference foe.