The Sweet Briar tennis team played their final match of the 2009 season today against the Guilford College (GC) Quakers.  Although Guilford (5-5 in ODAC) won the match 7-2, the Vixens were competitive across all courts, doubles and singles.

In addition to honoring the graduating seniors on the team, Stephanie Nance (Moneta, Va.) and Rachel Sullivan (McLean, Va.), the Vixens were also pleased to have their complete team together.  First-year player Krista Maldonado (Ennis, Texas) and Ebie Baker ('11/Farmville, Va.) were cleared to play after being on the injured list for the last three weeks of the season.

Maldonado and Virginia Edahl ('10/Charlotte, N.C.) teamed up and put up a good fight on court one doubles, but it was not enough for the win. Guilford won by a score of 8-6.

A similar scenario was set for Nance and first-year player Ellen Reid (Germanton, N.C.), playing some action-filled points, but also unable to close it out.  Set score again was 8-6 to Guilford.

Leslie Polaski ('10/Amherst, Va.) and Ebie Baker had a reunion of sorts on court three doubles.  The pair played together much of last year and a few matches earlier in the 2009 season.  They synced up and took the point for their team winning 8-4.

Weather threatened the match off-and-on throughout the match, with rain falling enough to suspend play for about 15 minutes shortly after singles began.  The format was agreed by both teams to change to an 8-game pro-set due to the possibility incompletion.  Fortunately, the rain subsided but the temperatures dropped noticeably as well.  The Vixens trailed 1-2 going into singles play.

Court one player Virginia Edahl won her match with her consistent and offensive baseline play.  Her score was 8-2.

Krista Maldonado had a bit of a slow start, but found her timing and came back from a 1-6 deficit in her pro-set and took her opponent to 7-7 before the set slipped to Guilford, 7-9.

Stephanie Nance also battled back from a few games down.  The score was 1-3 when rain hit.  Nance was persistent and tenacious in attacking every ball coming back to 5-6, however her Guilford opponent pulled away and won by a score of 8-5.

Ellen Reid, Jessica Draper ('11/Farmville, Va.), and Willis Blair ('12/Richmond, Va.) each played steady and showed promising form against their Guilford competition.  Again, scores indicated competitive play on courts four through six respectively, but Guilford prevailed on each court with same scores of 8-6 on each.

Senior Rachel Sullivan was victorious in her final match as a Vixen, winning by a score of 8-4.