WALTHAM, Mass. – The 23^rd-ranked Brandeis University women's tennis team went back and forth with #8-ranked MIT tonight, but the visiting Engineers prevailed in the day's final match to defeat the Judges, 4-3, in the Gosman Athletic Center.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 5-3, ranked #23 in Division III by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
• MIT, 2-2, ranked #8 in D3 by ITA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges started strong by earning the doubles point. Sophomore Charly Saltz (Los Angeles, Calif./Learning Post Academy) and senior Nancy Zhang (Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Division) broke the ice with a 6-4 win at #3 for Brandeis, but MIT answered with a 6-4 win at #1 by Alaina Kolli and Artemis Pados.
• The Judges clinched the opening point at #2. First-year Avani Chitale (Ahmedabad, India/Cosmos Castle International School) and junior Chahana Budhbhatti (Ahmedabad, India/Aavishkar School) won the first four games of the match, but MIT's Carley Chen and Chloe Zeng won five of the next six to tie the match at 5-5. The Brandeis duo held to take a 6-5 lead, then broke to end the match, 7-5, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.
• Brandeis senior Mandy Reyes (Manila, Philippines/Laurel Springs School) gave the Judges a 2-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-3, win at #1 singles.
• MIT evened things up with wins by Zeng at #2, 6-4, 6-3, and Katie Driscoll, with the first of two three-set wins for the Engineers, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1) at #3.
• In the second round of matches, MIT's Chen won the second match that went the distance at #4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, giving the Engineers a 3-2.
• Saltz earned her second win of the day to tie things up again at 3-all, taking a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) win at #6.
• In the decisive match at #5, MIT's Yang was able to make quick work of her opponent, 6-1, 6-0, to help the Engineers avoid the upset.
• This marked the second one-point decision between the Judges and Engineers in the last three meetings. 

UP NEXT

• The Judges will meet another top-40 opponent on Sunday afternoon when they take on #38 Colby College at 2 p.m.