The Ephs are currently the top team in New England, with the Jeffs right on their heels in second place. Travelling to Williamstown for the match, the Jeffs ended up on the short side of a 5-4 loss.
"I think very little separated us from Williams," said Tri-captain Stephanie Fong '02. "It was a matter of a couple of points here and there that made the difference."
The day started off positively for the Jeffs, as they jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles play. The pairing of Susanna Burke '03 and Rachel Holt '05 took an easy 8-2 victory in the third doubles match.
In the top doubles spot Tri-captains Fong and Heather Cole '02 fell to Williams' top pairing of Selma Kikic and Steph Hall. Fong and Cole fell 8-5 in the match.
At second doubles the Jeffs took the lead again, as the team of Tri-captain Vass Kozoulina '02 and Paige Lawrence '03 was able to hold off the Ephs, 8-6.
"We focused a lot on doubles the prior week in order to get the early points and both the number two and number three doubles pulled through with great wins," said Fong.
Unfortunately for the Jeffs, the Ephs stormed back in singles play, taking four of the six matches to win the meet. The Jeffs got their two wins in the third and fourth singles matches. Holt continued her strong play with a tough three-set victory over Kate Troy. After dropping the first set 3-6, Holt dominated the final two sets, winning each by a score of 6-2.
Kozoulina also chipped in with her second win of the day, taking out Hall. Kozoulina won the first set 7-5 then dropped the second 2-6. In the third and deciding set, Kozoulina breezed to a 6-2 victory.
The first singles match was a rematch of the Rolex/ITA New England Championship final held just two weeks before, a match in which Kikic defeated Fong 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2. Again, Kikic came out on top, this time winning in two sets, 6-4, 6-2.
In the second singles slot on the ladder, Julie Mallory of Williams gained revenge over Burke after her drubbing in doubles play. Burke took the first set 6-3, but then lost the second set in a tiebreaker 6-7 (2). In the third set Burke fell 4-6. This was the closest loss for the Jeffs, and was most likely their best opportunity to win that elusive final point and beat Williams on their home turf.
The Jeffs also dropped the fifth and sixth singles matches, both in straight sets. At the fifth spot Cole fell 2-6, 2-6 to Jasmine Bradley, while Tristan Hedrick '05 fell 4-6, 2-6 to Brittany Binet.
Prior to the loss to Williams, the Jeffs handily beat the Bobcats and Polar Bears when they came to town Oct. 7. Winning each meet 9-0, the Jeffs were never challenged, winning all of the matches in straight sets and never being forced into a tiebreaker.
Next up for the Jeffs is the New England Championships, which will be held this weekend at Amherst. Last year the Jeffs placed second to Williams in the same tournament.
"The team just needs to keep focusing and working hard because we're going to have another shot at most of the Williams team this weekend at NESCACs," said Fong.
The New Englands will be the final meet of the fall for the Jeffs, and they will then return to the court in the spring to continue their year of competition. It appears that the Jeffs will again be one of the top squads in the country, although they have set a high standard of excellence in years past. The Jeffs will be shooting for their fifth consecutive Final Four berth this year, a tall task indeed.
This fall has seen the continued improvement of many players on the team, as well as the emergence of others. Holt stepped straight into the singles ladder and performed well all fall. Fong has played well in the Jeffs fall slate after stepping up to the number one singles slot, and Burke has also played in the second spot. The return of Lawrence to the team has bolstered doubles play, and all in all it has been a productive fall.