SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – No. 24 Wellesley College tennis began NEWMAC season by sweeping  Springfield College, 7-0, on Saturday at Appleton Tennis Courts. The win was Head Coach Brian Kuscher's 200th with the Blue (10-1 Overall, 3-0 NEWMAC), extending his record for the most coaching wins in program history.

The Blue started the day off by winning two out of three lines in doubles and collecting the point. No. 1 and 3 doubles finished back-to-back each with the same result - a 6-4 Wellesley win. 

First-years Kotistha Modak (Chennai, India) and Sofia Corte-Real (Stamford, Conn.) took care of senior Ramida Manataweewat (Thailand, Bangkok) and sophomore Kapom Vettayawaikoon (Phuket, Thailand) at the top doubles line. Sophomores Veda Madhusudan (Short Hills, N.J.) and Dalia Khera (Houston, Texas) picked up the win at No. 3 over junior Kelly McGoldrick (Monroe, N.Y.) and sophomore Natalia Peyon (Hong Kong).

The Pride (4-3 Overall, 0-1 NEWMAC) scored a 7-5 decision at No. 2 doubles. Graduate student Gabby Heaney-Secord (Westwood, Mass.) and junior Alyssa Elliott (Gros-Islet, Saint Lucia) came away with the win versus sophomores Lily Cade (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Kriti Sarav (Chicago, Ill.).

Cade was the first to finish a singles match, taking down first-year Ava Shea (Belchertown, Mass.) at No. 6 in a 6-2, 6-0 showing to put the Blue up 2-0. Doubles teammate Sarav soon followed suit, defeating McGoldrick 6-3, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

First-year Nandini Patel (Phoenix, Ariz.) was the clinching point for Wellesley at No. 3. The first-year extended the season singles record to 12-1 by winning 6-4, 6-4 over Manataweewat. 

First-year Rianna Mariotti (Forest Hills, N.Y.) added to Wellesley's day by winning in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 4 over Elliott. First-year Sophie Buttorff (Tacoma, Wash.) was victorious at No. 2 singles versus Heaney-Secord, 6-4, 7-6(4).

Finally, at the top singles spot, Wellesley sophomore Suzanne Xu (Boyds, Md.) claimed a 7-5, 7-6(4) decision against Vettayawaikoon.

It's a quick turnaround for the Blue, who host No. 20 Babson College at the Amy Batchelor '88, Trustee, Tennis Courts tomorrow at 12:00 PM. The Pride play the same time tomorrow at Salve Regina University.