HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/5/11) – The Colgate women's tennis team kicked off its 2011 dual season this weekend and were downed by Syracuse and Marist.

On Friday night, the Orange failed to drop a set in singles play and swept all doubles action to earn the 7-0 win. Jen Marquit won the most points with three in a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Christina Tan in the battle at No. 4 singles. Marquit then teamed up with rookie Becky Silver in doubles action and the two had the most successful match with a loss at 8-4.

The Raiders improved on Saturday, but fell to the Red Foxes by a 5-2 score. Marquit and Silver won their first doubles match of the season with an 8-6 win over Jeannie Lukin and Marielle Campbell. Colgate lost the doubles point however, with the top two doubles matches going to Marist.

In singles action, rookie Alex Petrini won her first match of her collegiate career by defeating Kelsey Raynor in the No. 2 singles spot. She put her away with a 6-4, 6-4 win. After two losses at No. 3 and No. 4, Marquit earned a win at No. 5 as Retta Byron retired midway through the second set. Marquit was up 1-0 in the match and 3-2 in the set, when Byron was forced to retire.

Captain Stephanie Bender dropped the top singles match by a 6-1, 6-4 decision, while fellow captain Stephanie Brown took her match to three sets, but loss 7-5 in the final set. She went down 6-1 early and fought back with a 6-3 win in the second set.

Colgate will be back in action next weekend as the Raiders travel to St. Bonaventure and the University of Rochester on Saturday and Sunday.

Syracuse 7, Colgate 0
Singles
1. Alessondra Parra def. Alex Petrini 6-1, 6-0
2. Maddie Kobelt def. Stephanie Brown 6-0, 6-0
3. Emily Harman def. Kelsey Shea 6-0, 6-2
4. Christina Tan def. Jen Marquit 6-1, 6-2
5. Simone Kalhorn def. Alexi Aberant 6-0, 6-0
6. Eva Raszkiewicz def. Becky Silvers 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1. Harman/Kobelt def. Bendes/Petrini 8-2
2. Parra/Kalhorn def. Shea/Brown 8-3
3. Tan/Tang def. Marquit/Silver 8-4

Marist 5, Colgate 2
Singles
1. Erin McCarthy def. Stephanie Bender 6-1, 6-4
2. Alex Petrini def. Kelsey Raynor 6-4, 6-4
3. Joana Sun def. Stephanie Brown 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
4. Marielle Campbell def. Kelsey Shea 6-1, 6-4
5. Jen Marquit def, Retta Byron 6-1, 3-2 ret
6. Jeannie Lukin def. Alexi Aberant 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. Raynon/Sun def. Bender/Petrini 5-5
2. McCarthy/Byron def. Shea/Brown 8-6
3. Marquit/Silver def. Lukin/Campbell 8-6