Women’s Tennis Blanks St. Elizabeth, 9-0, In Spring Home Opener

AURORA, N.Y. – Ayumi Takeuchi (Eniwa, Hokkaido, Japan) remained undefeated in both singles (3-0) and doubles (3-0) play as the Wells College women's tennis team posted a 9-0 shutout over the Soaring Eagles of the College of St. Elizabeth Saturday afternoon at the Wells College tennis courts. With the victory, the Express improve to 2-1 overall in the North Eastern Athletic Conference while St. Elizabeth drops to 1-3 against league opponents this season.

With a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles play, senior Caitlyn Copfer (Clinton, N.Y.) is only one victory away from tying Lisa Gibson '06 for the all-time Wells NCAA Division III record of 23 career singles victories. Current records display Catherine Babbitt '83 as having 24 career singles victories, but statistics for the 1982 spring season are currently unavailable – Wells became a full-time NCAA Division III member prior to the 1986-87 academic season.

At No. 2 singles, junior Brittany Vanno (Whitesboro, N.Y.) picked up the 6-0, 6-0 victory over Chiamaka Nwangwu for her fifth singles victory of the 2012-13 season. Takeuchi, at No. 3 singles, posted Wells' second-straight 6-0, 6-0 victory, defeating St. Elizabeth's Brianne Clark while senior Kelly Pietruch (Whitesboro, N.Y.) silenced Emmanuella Dorcent in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.

Copfer and Takeuchi set down Amy Cooper and Nwangwu 8-2 at No. 1 doubles, improving Copfer's 2013 doubles record to 3-0 while earning her 14th collegiate doubles win in the process. Vanno and freshman Taryn Heath (Homer, N.Y.) posted an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles for the last Wells doubles win of the afternoon.

With only four players on the roster, St. Elizabeth forfeited their No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches to Heath and freshman Kevisha Hunt. At No. 3 doubles, Pietruch and freshman Brooke Benedetto (Williamstown, N.Y.) claimed a forfeit victory.

The Express host the visiting Nittany Lions of Penn St.-Abington in an 11:00 a.m. match on Sunday, Apr. 14. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Wells College athletic department by "liking" us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WellsExpress) and subscribing to our Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/WellsExpress).