
The 12th-ranked Case Western Reserve University women's tennis team defeated #21 Washington and Lee University 6-3 on Friday evening at the Duchossois Tennis Center in Lexington, Virginia.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 4-0 on the season, while the Generals fell to 4-1.
To start doubles action, sophomores Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey prevailed 8-2 over Lauren Long and Margaret Carlton, the 12th-ranked pair in Division III, at first doubles. Sophomore Radha Patel and first-year Katalina Wang followed with a win at second doubles, defeating Izzy Koziol and Riho Iijima 8-3. The Generals earned the final doubles point when Becket Waters and Gabi Moss bested sophomore Anna Kan and senior Nina Hoog 8-7 (8-6) at third doubles.
Kassaie, ranked 29th nationally in singles play, gave CWRU a 3-1 lead in the match with a win at first singles. She defeated Long in two sets, 6-1, 6-2. Patel brought the Spartans within one point of clinching the match, defeating Koziol, ranked 46th nationally in singles play, 6-1, 6-2 at third singles. McCloskey, ranked as the 39th-best singles player in Division III, clinched the match for Case Western Reserve by defeating Moss at second singles, 6-4, 6-3.
At fourth singles, Wang lost the first set to Waters 3-6 but rebounded to win the second 6-0. After trailing 0-4 in the decisive third set, she won the next six points to win the match 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 and add to the CWRU lead.
Kan and first-year Asha Shukla each dropped three-set matches to close the day, with Kan falling 0-6, 6-3, 9-11 to Grace Lorenz at fifth singles and Shukla losing to Carlton 6-3, 2-6, 2-10 at sixth singles.
The Spartans remain in Lexington for another top 25 matchup on Saturday, facing #23 Christopher Newport at 11 a.m.