Women's tennis shows grit in 5-4 decision at Babson
October 10, 2007

Cecilia Grissa '08 won in a super tiebreaker at No. 1 singles to keep the Bobcats' hopes alive.
BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Babson College emerged the 5-4 winner after a 4 1/2-hour non-conference match against the Bates College women's tennis team on Wednesday, sending the visiting Bobcats to a 1-1 record this year and the host Beavers to 8-3.

The match, which was moved indoors to the Boston Sports Club due to wet conditions, lasted four and a half hours.

Babson held a 2-1 advantage after doubles play, thanks to an 8-3 win by sophomore Jessica Huang (Andover, Mass.) and junior co-captain Kali Hogan (Clinton, Mass.) at number two and an 8-5 triumph by senior co-captain Jamie Burke (Burlington, Mass.) and sophomore Lorena Becerra (Key Biscayne, Fla.) at number three. Bates' first point came courtesy of an 8-2 win by senior Cecilia Grissa (Doylestown, Pa.) and sophomore Alex Piacquad (Yardley, Pa.) at number one.

The Bobcats surged ahead by winning two quick matches in singles play, as Piacquad won in straight sets at number two and senior Liz Fleming (Weston, Conn.) added a 6-0, 6-0 victory at number six. Babson picked up its third and fourth points with a 6-4, 6-4 win by Becerra at four and a third-set superbreak victory by junior Heather Walsh (Warwick, R.I.) at three, but the Bobcats notched their fourth point when Grissa fought off match-point before rallying for a third-set superbreak win over junior Courtney Farrell (Burlington, Mass.) at number one.

With the overall match tied at 4-4, Sheerin and first-year Eliza Kano-Bower (Wayland, Mass.) battled for the decisive point at number five singles. Kano-Bower cruised in the opening set, 6-0, but Sheerin bounced back with a 6-3 victory in the second to even the match at one set apiece. The Babson sophomore then clinched the match with a 10-5 win in the third-set superbreaker.

Babson 5 Bates 4
Doubles
1. Cecilia Grissa/Alex Piacquad (BAT) def. Heather Walsh/Courtney Farrell (BAB) 8-1
2. Jessica Huang/Kali Hogan (BAB) def. Mallika Raghavan/Liz Fleming (BAT) 8-3
3. Jamie Burke/Lorena Becerra (BAB) Eliza Kano-Bower/Jean Gulliver 8-5

Singles
1. Grissa (BAT) def. Farrell (BAB) 5-7, 7-6 (2), (10-3)
2. Piacquad (BAT) def. Hogan (BAB) 6-3, 6-3
3. Walsh (BAB) def. Mallika Raghavan (BAT) 6-4, 4-6, (10-6)
4. Becerra (BAB) def. Gulliver (BAT) 6-4, 6-4
5. Liz Sheerin (BAB) def. Kano-Bower (BAT) 0-6, 6-3, (10-5)
6. Fleming (BAT) def. Burke (BAB) 6-0, 6-0