Vassar Wins Second Straight Seven Sisters Championship

Photo is courtesy of Vassar

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  — For the second year in a row, the Vassar College women's tennis team went undefeated on its way to winning the annual Seven Sisters Championship on Sunday.

Just like last year, Vassar and Wellesley College both went into the final match undefeated, with the Brewers coming out on top for the trophy.

Vassar has now won the title 13 times since the first Championship in 1983. Since 1999, the winner has either been Vassar or Wellesley, with the Brewers taking 10 of those and the Blue securing eight.

This year, Kate Christensen and doubles pairs Hanna McGuire and Shayna Becker and Morgane Flournoy and Kelsey Van Noy, were named to the All-Seven Sisters Team. Christensen won all three of her matches at No. 1 singles to pick up her 12th win on the season. Doubles duo, McGuire and Becker, won all three of their matches to secure their seventh win together, while Flournoy and Van Noy won all four of their matches to notch their fifth.

After beating Bryn Mawr College and Smith College with 5-0 shutouts on Day 1 of the Championship, Vassar took down Mount Holyoke College and Wellesley with 4-1 scores on Day 2.

Against the Mount Holyoke Lyons, the Brewers dominated in doubles. At one, Becker and McGuire defeated Ishita Tibrewal and Madison Rosen, 6-1, 6-0, before Van Noy and Flournoy took down Amy Chen and Ciara Wang, 6-3, 6-2, at two.

Moving onto singles, Connie Yoo handed Michelle Cai a 6-0, 6-0 bagel at three before Christensen fought Ayame Yazawa for a 7-5, 6-2 win at one. Morgan Fitzgerald fought all the way to a super tiebreaker, but Margaux Holloschutz ultimately came out on top, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1), 10-8.

Against the Wellesley Blue, the Brewers again set the tone in doubles. At two, Flournoy and Van Noy defeated Emily Olson and Rosanne Hu, 6-2, 6-3, before McGuire and Becker beat Samantha Stone and Dasha Kostikina, 6-2, 6-2, at one.

In singles, the Blue tried to make a comeback, as Justine Huang topped Courtney Geiss, 6-2, 6-1, at two. But the Brewers continued to battle, securing the team win — and the championship —with Fitzgerald's 6-1, 6-3 win over Tristan Lorich at three. Christensen rounded the tournament with a grind-it-out victory over Carina Chen, 7-6, 6-2 (7-1), at one.

The Vassar women's tennis team plays its penultimate home game of the regular season against Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday, April 16 at noon.

Seven Sisters Standings
Vassar — 4-0
Wellesley — 3-1
Mount Holyoke — 2-2
Bryn Mawr — 1-3
Smith — 0-4

All-Seven Sisters Team
Wellesley - Carina Chan, Justine Huang
Mount Holyoke - Margaux Holloschultz, Ayame Yazawa
Bryn Mawr - Lizzie Siegle/Melina Koukoutchos
Smith - Samantha Peikes
Vassar - Kate Christiansen, McGuire/Becker, Flournoy/Van Noy