CMS Women's Tennis Falls in Third-Place Match to Close ITA Indoor Nationals

Danville, Ky. - Nikolina Batoshvili and Alisha Chulani took an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles, but the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team dropped a 5-1 decision to Pomona-Pitzer in the third-place match at the ITA Indoor Nationals on Sunday at Centre College.

The loss drops CMS to 5-2 on the season, after it began the year 5-0, before falling in a 5-4 decision to Emory on Saturday in the semifinals of the ITA Indoors. The third-place match was only played up to the clinch, leaving the final three singles matches unfinished. 

Pomona-Pitzer took a 2-1 lead after doubles, despite the Batoshvili-Chulani win and No. 3, and the Sagehens took the first set on all six singles courts. Sydney Lee came the closest in the first set for the Athenas, going to a tiebreaker at No. 2 before falling to Nina Ye 7-6, and Lee then led 3-2 in the second when her match was suspended.

Ella Brissett battled back from a 6-4 defeat in the first set to win the second set 6-2 at No. 4, and held a 2-1 lead in the third when it was halted, while Audrey Yoon was in a tight battle at No. 5, trailing 7-5, 5-4 to Janie Marcus. 

CMS will return to action at home on Friday, when it has a rematch with Emory at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center at 4 p.m. The Athenas will also face Bowling Green on Saturday and Babson on Sunday as part of a three-match weekend to build into spring break.