Ephs Defeat Blue Jays 5-2 in Second Round of NCAAs

Cambridge, MA - The Ephs took on the Blue Jays in their second round of NCAAs to fight for a spot in the round of 16. After a three hour battle in nearly 100 degree weather, the Ephs clinch at 5-2 overall. Head Coach Anik Cepeda reflects, "This win took a lot of guts and a willingness to stay committed to the aggressive game styles that would eventually get us across the finish line. It was hot out there, and we still stayed disciplined to the basics."

The Ephs brought the energy today in doubles, and number one doubles Erica Ekstrand and Yuu Ishikawa made a quick 4-1 lead with aggressive baseline rallies and touch volleys to finish. They secured the first point for the Ephs with a textbook 8-1 win. Number three doubles Katherine Orgielewicz and Ananya Aggarwal also found a 4-1 lead, mixing in lobs and taking balls out of the air. Despite a hard fought match by the Blue Jays, the Ephs won comfortably 8-3. 

Meanwhile, number two doubles Jenny Tian and Julia Pham were down 0-3 to start, and worked their way to a tie at 3-3. After trading games the Ephs managed to get up 7-6, but the Blue Jays tied the score up again. Both the Blue Jays and Ephs lined up to watch the tiebreak. Although the Ephs went up 5-3, the Blue Jays managed to edge out a win at 7-6. With a 2-1 lead, the Ephs prepared for singles and the fight to stay in NCAAs. 

Ishikawa was the first to prevail in her singles match. She was able to cruise through by dictating with her big forehand and finish the point at net with her lethal drop volleys. This quick match swung the momentum for the Ephs, as Williams started to tip Hopkins 3-1 overall. Next to finish was Ekstrand. She was able to get things done by being her aggressive self on every part of the court. She gained her ground on her return games by attacking her opponent's serve; overall, she took the offensive position using her forehands to build, and moved forward in the court to finish the point. 

With one win left to clinch, the pressure was on lines 3, 4, 5, and 6. The focus was on Tian, who was inching closer and closer to a win. She played her all-court game today against a resilient opponent. Tian took an edge by keeping her opponent guessing with her short drop shots and deep slices. Her opponent never know if she'd be reeling her into the net to lob her, or if she had a huge backhand rip coming her way. In a long final game that traded deuce points and fended off match points, Tian took home the clinch again, and the off-court Ephs stormed her in an uplifting huddle.  

Meanwhile, it is not to go unnoticed that Izzy Santiago was having a great battle herself. She lost a tough first set 5-7, but was up 6-5 in the second set when play stopped. On court 5 there were two big hitting baseliners that battled it out, with Maxine Ng up one set. 

After a gritty win, the Ephs rest to get ready for tomorrow, where they will face MIT on their home courts for sweet 16. Cepeda adds, "Shoutout to Yuu who really helped us gain momentum in the singles – she was on a mission. I can't wait to watch them leave everything on the court tomorrow. We're going to throw MIT the kitchen sink and a lot of heart." 


Complete Results:
Williams College vs. Johns Hopkins University

Doubles:
Yuu Ishikawa / Erica Ekstrand vs. Christina Huynh / Aya Igaki-Meader
        Williams 8-1
Jenny Tian / Julia Pham vs. Emily Javedan / Ali Bader
        Johns Hopkins 7-8(6)
Katherine Orgielewicz / Ananya Aggarwal vs. Celina Liu / Jessica Liang
        Williams 8-3

Singles:
Erica Ekstrand vs. Anjali Devireddy
        Williams 6-3, 6-2
Yuu Ishikawa vs. Aya Igaki-Meader
        Williams 6-0, 6-1
Jenny Tian vs. Ali Bader
        Williams 6-4, 6-3
Ananya Aggarwal vs. Christina Huynh
        Johns Hopkins 5-7, 0-6
Maxine Ng vs. Celina Liu
        Incomplete — 6-3, 4-5 n/a
Isabel Santiago vs. Amanda Ruci 
        Incomplete — 5-7, 6-5 n/a