Bates College Women's tennis's five-match win streak stopped by No. 17 Case Western Reserve

Maisie Silverman prevailed in a pro-set tiebreaker at No. 1 singles in Bates' 7-2 loss to No. 17 Case Western Reserve on March 16, 2018 in Fredericksburg, Va. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The Bates women's tennis team began a weekend of three matches in the Blue-Grey Invitational at the University of Mary Washington on Friday, falling 7-2 to No. 17 nationally ranked Case Western Reserve.

The Spartans (10-2) swept the three doubles matches en route to their seventh straight victory. Bates (6-2) saw its five-match win streak halted.

Senior Maisie Silverman (Brunswick, Maine) battled Nithya Kanagasegar to a three-set victory at No. 1 singles, 7-5, 2-6, 11-9, while first-year Hannah Sweeney (Franklin, Mass.) defeated Madeleine Paolucci 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3 singles to earn Bates' two points. Silverman is now 5-2 at the top singles spot this season, including a loss by retirement. Sweeney is 7-1 in singles play.

First-year Haley Washington (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) was edged at No. 6 singles by Katrin Gurvich by a 6-3, 7-5 score; sophomore Lauren Hernandez (Chester, N.J.) also took her opponent at No. 5 singles to a 7-5 score in the second set, and sophomore Suzanne Elfman (Longmeadow, Mass.) fell 7-6 (1), 6-2 to Jessica Liu at fourth singles.