STANFORD, Calif. -- The 42nd ranked Saint Mary's tennis team dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 29 Yale today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Taube Family Tennis Center.

The Gaels conclude their season with a 14-8 overall record and became the first Saint Mary's team in any sport to advance to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.  Yale improved to 20-3 overall and will play the winner of the Stanford vs. Stony Brook match tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Yale, the Ivy League champions for the second-straight season with a perfect 7-0 record, came out strong early, taking the doubles point on the strength of 8-4 victories at both the nos. 2 and 3 positions. 

Sophomore Annie Sullivan was the first singles player to secure a victory, taking a straight set win over Saint Mary's sophomore Carla Lindlar to give Yale a 2-0 lead.  Not long after, freshman Hanna Yu completed a 6-4, 6-0 win over Saint Mary's senior Anna Chkhikvishvili then junior Elizabeth Epstein completed Yale's team victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win over SMC junior Catherine Isip at the no. 1 position.

Yale 4, Saint Mary's 0
NCAA Tournament First Round
Taube Family Tennis Stadium, Stanford, Calif.

Doubles
1.  Vicky Brook/Amber Li (Yale) vs. Jenny Jullien/Jade Frampton (SMC), dnf
2.  Elizabeth Epstein/Annie Sullivan (Yale) def. Catherine Isip/Anna Chkhikvishvili (SMC), 8-4
3.  Steph Kent/Blair Seideman (Yale) def. Molly Aloia/Elizabeth Searl (SMC), 8-5

order of finish:  2, 3

Singles
1.  Epstein (Yale) def. Isip (SMC) 6-3, 6-2
2.  Seideman (Yale) vs. Jullien (SMC)  6-2, 2-1, dnf
3.  Hanna Yu (Yale) def. Chkhikvishvili (SMC) 6-4, 6-0
4.  Brook (Yale) vs. Frampton (SMC) 4-6, 1-3, dnf
5.  Kent (Yale) vs. Catherine Leduc (SMC) 6-3,  3-0, dnf
6.  Sullivan (Yale) def. Carla Lindlar (SMC) 6-0, 6-0

order of finish:  6, 3, 1

Team Records:  No. 29 Yale (20-3), No. 42 Saint Mary's (14-8)