Looking to build on a strong start to its season, William and Mary took to the Jayhawk Tennis Center on the campus of Kansas University for two non-conference matches. The Tribe (5-5) was unable take down either of its power conference opponents, losing 7-0 to No. 24 Oregon (6-3) Saturday and 5-2 to Kansas (4-2) Sunday.
The College started hot in doubles against Oregon. The team of junior Lauren Goodman and senior Cecily Wuenscher made quick work of the Ducks at the No. 2 spot, 6-1. However, that was one of few bright spots for the Tribe. Oregon’s Julia Lilien and Daniela Nasser swiftly beat the Tribe’s team of sophomore Natalia Perry and junior Clara Tanielian, 6-4, at the No. 3 slot. The Ducks then claimed the doubles point in a hard-fought set, as the Ducks’ duo of Shweta Sangwan and Alyssa Tobita, the 10th-ranked doubles team in the country, came out on top of the College’s team of sophomore Rosie Cheng and senior Olivia Thaler, 7-6 (3) at the No. 1 spot.
Oregon swept singles, winning every meet in straight sets. Finishing first was Oregon’s Paiton Wagner, who beat Thaler 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 6 spot. At the No. 5 spot, Goodman fell to Lilien 6-1, 6-2. Clinching the Ducks’ victory was Sangwan, who defeated Tanielian 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 3 spot. Oregon wrapped up all three remaining matches, with Cheng, Perry and senior Ekaterina Stepanova, respectively, all suffering defeats.
Sunday, the Tribe looked to bounce back against Kansas. However, yet again the College lost the doubles point. At the No. 3 spot, the Tribe’s team of Tanielian and sophomore Charlotte Madson lost 6-1 to Kansas’ Maria Toran Ribes and Despoina Vogasari. Cheng and Thaler soon followed for the Tribe, falling 6-1 to Kansas’ Anastasia Rychagova and Nina Khmelnitckaia at the No. 1 slot. The No. 2 spot match was stopped with Goodman and Wuenscher down 5-2.
The Tribe also had a tough time in singles play. Thaler made easy work of the Jayhawks’ Tatiana Nikolaeva, winning the match in the No. 6 spot 6-1, 6-2. The College’s fortune soon turned, as Tanielian fell 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 2 spot. Cheng then lost to Rychagova, the second-ranked singles player in the country, at the No. 1 spot, 6-0, 6-3. The Jayhawks then secured the victory, as Ribes beat Goodman 7-5, 6-2. After the outcome was decided, Stepanova lost in a third-set tiebreaker (6-3, 5-7, 10-6), and Perry won in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 6-4), giving the Tribe a second point in the process.
The College will return home after its weekend trip to Kansas. Sunday, the Tribe will take on Georgetown at 11 a.m. and Richmond at 4 p.m. in two non-conference matchups.