MENDON, N.Y. -- The Ithaca women's tennis team pulled out three close doubles matches and then won two singles matches in convincing fashion to defeat Stevens Institute of Technology by a 5-0 score in the championship match of the Empire 8 tournament Sunday at the Mendon Racquet Club. Cristina Nunez earned tournament MVP honors with two singles wins and two doubles wins on the weekend. Her singles victory Sunday, which clinched the dual victory for Ithaca, was the 60th of her career, tying her for the all-time record in singles wins at Ithaca with Meghan Carroll '04.
The Bombers posted three wins in doubles play to take control of the dual. Carly Siegel and Allison Vizgaitis posted the first win with an 8-6 victory at third doubles, followed by an 8-6 win at second doubles for Marni Blumenthal and Laurel Salladay. Ithaca's first doubles team of Nunez and Allison Young won 9-7 to complete the doubles sweep.
Salladay was a 6-2, 6-2 winner at third singles to set up the clinching match win by Nunez, a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jessica Bourque at first singles.
Ithaca led three other singles matches that didn't finish once the Bombers earned the required five team points for victory.
With the victory, Ithaca earned automatic qualification to the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships. It was Ithaca's eighth consecutive tournament title.
Tennis Match Results
Stevens vs Ithaca
10/21/12 at Mendon, N.Y.
(Mendon Racquet Club)
Ithaca 5, Stevens 0
Singles competition
1. Cristina NUNEZ (IC) def. Jessica Bourque (SIT) 6-3, 6-3
2. Carly SIEGEL (IC) vs. Lisa Tessitore (SIT) 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
3. Laurel SALLADAY (IC) def. Julia Guignard (SIT) 6-2, 6-2
4. Allison VIZGAITIS (IC) vs. Lexie Handel (SIT) 7-5, 3-3, unfinished
5. Marni BLUMENTHAL (IC) vs. Nathalie Tran (SIT) 5-1, unfinished
6. Victoria Tran (SIT) vs. Alyssa STEINWEIS (IC) no result
Doubles competition
1. Cristina NUNEZ/Allison YOUNG (IC) def. Jessica Bourque/Lisa Tessitore (SIT) 9-7
2. Marni BLUMENTHAL/Laurel SALLADAY (IC) def. Julia Guignard/Danielle Stewart (SIT) 8-6
3. Carly SIEGEL/Allison VIZGAITIS (IC) def. Lexie Handel/Nathalie Tran (SIT) 8-6
Team Records:
Stevens 7-4
Ithaca 11-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,1)
Empire 8 Championship
Ithaca earns automatic qualification to NCAA Tournament