From Brandeis University Athletics
The Brandeis University women's tennis team picked up a second-straight road win on Saturday, defeating MIT, 6-3, in a battle of Top 25 teams. The 21st-ranked Judges improved to 5-1 on the season and handed the #17 Engineers their first loss, dropping them to 10-1.
Brandeis opened with a 2-1 lead after doubles action. MIT got off to a quick start, with Dora Tzeng and Kelly Zhu winning 8-1 at No. 2. Judge sophomore Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and rookie Sabrina Ross Neergaard (Port Orchard, Wash./Laurel Springs Acad.) took an 8-4 win at No. 1 to even the score. Brandeis took the lead into singles action thanks to a tiebreaker win at No. 3 by sophomores Michele Lehat (Great Neck , N.Y. / John L. Miller Great Neck North) and Keren Khromchenko (Manalapan, N.J./Academy of Allied Health and Science). After an even set, the Judges won the tiebreaker going away, 7-2.
In singles action, Brandeis won at the top three spots to clinch the win. Ross Neergaard defeated Tzeng at No. 1, 6-4, 6-0, while junior captain Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs) avenged her doubles loss to Zhu with a 6-3, 6-4, win at No. 2. Khromchenko completed the sweep in the top spots with a 6-2, 6-3, win at No. 3. Lehat earned her second win of the day at No. 5 singles with a third-set super tiebreaker, 6-2, 2-6, 11-9.
The win for the Judges was their first over MIT since 2012.