REDLANDS, Calif. – The Brandeis University women's tennis team won two of three doubles and five of six singles matches today as the 19th-ranked Judges defeated 26th-ranked University of Redlands, 7-2, in the second match of their three-match February break trip to California. With the win, Brandeis improves to 2-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 0-2.
The teams split the first two doubles matches, with Brandeis junior Diana Dehterevich (Minsk, Belarus / Secondary School #185 of Minsk) and senior Keren Khromchenko (Manalapan, N.J. / Academy of Allied Health and Science) winning 8-3 at #2, but senior Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and sophomore Lauren Bertsch (Middletown, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) lost by the same score at #1 to even things up. The Judges claimed the lead at #3, where senior Sophia He (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) and rookie Ana Hatfield (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Central Catholic) earned an 8-5 victory.
In singles action, Brandeis won the first five matches in straight sets. Dehterevich got things started at #1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win to go 2-0 on the day. Bertsch bounced back from her doubles defeat to pick up a 6-3, 6-3 win at #4, and Leavitt did the same at #2, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the victory.
Sophomore Rachel Zubrinsky (Waxhaw, N.C. / Marvin Ridge) played her first match of the season at #6 and earned a 6-0, 6-4, victory. Khromchenko picked up a 6-3, 7-5, win at #3 to close out the Brandeis scoring, while UR got on the board with a three-set win at #5.
The Judges close out their spring trip to California tomorrow with a 5 p.m. match at top-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2 p.m. Pacific time).