HADLEY, Mass. – Middlebury is the top seed in the 2023 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship. With a 9-0 win over Hamilton in the regular season finale and a 5-4 victory over defending champion Wesleyan earlier in the year, the Panthers grabbed the No. 1 seed.
For the second straight year, the top eight teams based on regular-season round-robin conference play qualified for the tournament. Quarterfinal matches will be held at Williams (primary site) and Middlebury (secondary site) on Friday, April 28. The semifinal and championship matches will be played at Williams exclusively on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30, respectively.
2022 NESCAC Championship Recap
Wesleyan won its third straight NESCAC title with a thrilling 5-4 win over Middlebury on the Cardinals’ home courts. The Panthers won two of the three doubles matches and took a 3-1 lead after a win at No. 2 singles. Wesleyan pulled ahead, 4-3, with straight-set wins at No. 1, No. 4, and No. 6. Middlebury evened the match at 4-4 with a win in the fifth slot. Venia Yeung rallied from down 3-1 to win the match, 6-4, on the No. 3 singles court and lift the Cardinals past the Panthers.
NESCAC Championship History
Wesleyan is the three-time defending NESCAC Champion (2019, 2021, 2022) and is one of three programs to win a NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship. Williams leads all NESCAC teams with 10 titles (last: 2018) and Amherst owns nine NESCAC crowns (last: 2014).
From 2001, when the NESCAC formally became a playing conference, to 2005 the NESCAC Championship was played in a flighted format. The tournament moved to its current format of seeded teams in 2006.
#1 Middlebury Panthers
2023 Record: 12-2 / 9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 5 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Runners-Up … Middlebury is the No. 1 seed for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2019 … The Panthers, who are making their 21st appearance in the NESCAC Championship, have reached the finals five times since 2016, including last season … Middlebury enters the tournament having won eight of its last nine contests, including four in a row to close the regular season … The Panthers will face No. 8 Colby in their opening match … Middlebury posted a 6-3 victory over the Mules on April 15 and swept Colby, 5-0, in last year’s quarterfinal round in the first meeting between the teams in the tournament.
TIEBREAKER: Middlebury and Wesleyan finished the regular season with identical 9-1 conference records. In head-to-head competition, Middlebury defeated Wesleyan to earn the No. 1 seed.
#2 Wesleyan Cardinals
2023 Record: 14-1 / 9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 14
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 3 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2022
Notes: Wesleyan is the three-time defending NESCAC Champion … The Cardinals are the No. 2 seed for the first time since 2019 … Wesleyan enters the tournament having won five straight matches and its only blemish is a 5-4 loss at Middlebury on March 26 … Wesleyan defeated Hamilton, 9-0, on October 2 and the teams have never faced each other in the NESCAC Championship.
#3 Amherst Mammoths
2023 Record: 11-3 / 8-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 10 (last: 2015)
NESCAC Titles Won: 9 (last: 2014)
Notes: Amherst defeated Williams, 5-4, in the regular season finale to grab the No. 3 seed and qualify for its 21st NESCAC Championship … The Mammoths are the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2016 … Amherst is one of three programs to win a NESCAC title and owns nine overall (last: 2014) ... The Mammoths will play No. 6 Bowdoin in the quarterfinals … Amherst pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Polar Bears in the spring season opener on March 4 … The Mammoths are 2-0 against Bowdoin in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 7-2 win in the 2007 semifinals.
#4 Tufts Jumbos
2023 Record: 8-8 / 7-3 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2021)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Tufts is the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2018 and has booked a spot in the NESCAC Championship 21st time since 2001 … The Jumbos meet No. 5 Williams in the quarterfinals … Tufts handed the Ephs a 7-2 loss on March 12 this season, but is 0-4 against Williams in the NESCAC Tournament … The teams last met in the 2018 semifinals with the Ephs posting a 5-0 victory.
TIEBREAKER: Tufts and Williams finished the regular season with identical 7-3 conference records. In head-to-head competition, Tufts defeated Williams to earn the No. 4 seed.
#5 Williams Ephs
2023 Record: 11-5 / 7-3 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 13 (last: 2018)
NESCAC Titles Won: 10 (last: 2018)
Notes: Williams is the No. 5 seed in the NESCAC Championship … The Ephs suffered their first loss in eight matches in the regular season finale versus Amherst … Williams is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2019 … The Ephs own the most NESCAC titles of any conference member with 10 (last: 2018) … Williams plays No. 4 Tufts to open the NESCAC Tournament … The Ephs fell, 7-2, to the Jumbos on March 12, but are unbeaten against them in NESCAC Championship action with a 4-0 record … Williams earned a 5-0 win in the most recent meeting in the 2018 semifinals.
#6 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023 Record: 5-10 / 5-5 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: The Polar Bears have qualified for the NESCAC Championship 21 times since 2001 and are the No. 6 seed for the second straight season … Bowdoin will face No. 3 Amherst in the quarterfinals … Bowdoin enters the tournament having won three of its last four matches … Amherst earned a 5-4 victory over the Polar Bears in the spring season opener on March 4 … Bowdoin is 0-2 against Amherst in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 7-2 loss in the 2007 semifinals.
#7 Hamilton Continentals
2023 Record: 8-8 / 4-6 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 6
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Hamilton has earned a spot in the NESCAC Championship for the first time since 2005 when the tournament was played as a flighted championship … The Continentals are the No. 7 seed and will play No. 2 Wesleyan in their opening match of the tournament … Wesleyan defeated Hamilton, 9-0, on October 2 and the teams have never faced each other in the current NESCAC Championship format.
#8 Colby Mules
2023 Record: 6-10 / 3-7 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 7
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Colby has qualified for back-to-back NESCAC Championships for the first time since the tournament was a flighted championship in 2005 … The Mules secured the No. 8 seed with a 6-3 victory over Trinity in the final match of the regular season … Colby is seeking to advance out of the first round for the first time since the championship moved to its current format in 2006 … The Mules will face No. 1 Middlebury in the quarterfinals … Middlebury posted a 6-3 victory at Colby on April 15 and earned a 5-0 win over the Mules in last year’s quarterfinal round in the first meeting between the teams in the tournament.
