BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons Tennis opened their 2013 season with an 8-1 loss to the Wheaton College Lyons at Harvard University this afternoon. The Sharks' (0-1) second doubles team of Sofie Epshtein (Newton, Mass.) and Rachael Downey (Groveland, Mass.) broke up the sweep with a 9-7 victory over Amanda Brazell and Morgan Bell.

In first doubles, Simmons senior Margaret Teague (Manchester, N.H.) and Meghan Cokely (Haverhill, Mass.) fell to Lyndsay Cooke and Alex Marlowe 8-2, and Theresa Reinhard (Canton, Ohio) and Caroline Khoury (Portsmouth, Ohio) forced a tough match in the third spot but were defeated by Jessica Moore and Sarah Crom, 8-6.

In singles play, Cokely won the first set in the number three spot but Bell rebounded to win, 2-6, 7-5, 10-7.

The Sharks return to action on Monday, Sep. 2 when face Mount Holyoke at 1:00 p.m. at Harvard University. The Lyons host Nichols on Sep. 4 at 4:00 p.m.