Athenas Claim Down-to-the-Wire Victory to Open 2018

AZUSA, Calif. – The No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team opened the 2018 season with a 5-4 victory over the Division II No. 23 Azusa Pacific Cougars. The Athenas swept the three doubles matches and claimed two of the six singles matches to earn the season opening victory.

CMS jumped out to a quick start in two of the three doubles matches and held off the Cougars in all three competitions to build an early 3-0 lead. Caroline Cox (CMC) and Catherine Allen (SC) were the first team to win a point for the Athenas, claiming an 8-3 victory in the second doubles match.

In the top doubles match, Nicole Tan (CMC) and Lindsay Brown (CMC) opened up a 5-0 lead before holding off Azusa Pacific 8-4 and earning a point for CMS. Kayla Scott (HMC) and Juliette Martin (HMC) completed the doubles sweep for the Athenas with an 8-4 victory.

On the singles side, Brown earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kara Hinton in the No. 4 singles match to bring CMS within one point of a victory. Azusa Pacific the rattled off victories in the next four matches to tie the dual at 4-4 with just one match still on the court.

The No. 2 match of Nicole Tan and Petra Ivankovic was the last on the courts and while Tan earned a 6-4, 3-6, 13-11 victory, the match had been decided before it even began due to a logistical error. Despite Tan's down-to-the-wire victory being record as a win by default, the sophomore earned a well-fought team victory for the Athenas regardless of the bookkeeping of the contest.

CMS edged the Cougars 5-4 on the afternoon and opened the new season on a high note. The Athenas will waste little time getting back on the court, CMS will host Caltech (10:00 a.m.) and UC San Diego (2:00 p.m.) tomorrow at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.