Elmira and Alfred Win E8 Matches

9/18/2014 9:18:00 PM

Elmira 9, Houghton 0 Box Score
The Elmira College women's tennis team made quick work of Houghton College, sweeping the Highlanders, 9-0 Thursday afternoon. EC picked up their fourth 9-0 victory of the season as they moved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in Empire 8 play. 
 
Reaching a career milestone today was Kayla Fitzgerald '15 who picked up her 46^th and 47^th career victories after winning at third doubles and fourth singles. With the wins, Fitzgerald moves into sole possession of second place in EC women's tennis history in career wins, a position she already holds in career singles wins.
 
Elmira took a 3-0 lead after doubles, thanks to a strong showing from each of the three doubles teams. Kimberly Salkin '18 and Ayaka Yoshino '16 won 8-2 at the first spot, followed by an 8-3 victory by the second doubles team of Amy Schimdt '15 and Rebecca Zeuschner '18. The third doubles team of Kayla Fitzgerald '15 and Megan Fitzgerald '18 made it a clean sweep of doubles with an 8-0 win. 
 
The six singles matches all went in favor of the Soaring Eagles, with only the first singles match between Salkin and Houghton's Bethany Chesebro being close. Salkin took a tight first set 7-5 and then finished the straight-set victory with a 6-3 win in set two. The other five singles matches gave up a combined three games as each rolled to straight set victories.
 

Alfred 5, Nazareth 4 Box Score 
The host Alfred University women's tennis team defeated visiting Nazareth, 5-4, in a thrilling Empire 8 Conference matchup Thursday.

AU trailed 4-3 before juniors Rachel Cook and Emma Jackson won their singles matches to complete the comeback. Cook took second singles, 7-6 (11-9), 6-1, while Jackson, after dropping the first set, 4-6, won the next two (6-3, 6-2) to earn the key third singles victory.

Freshman Callie Clapper got Alfred's other singles win, 6-1, 6-1 in sixth singles.

AU took two of three doubles matches. Cook and Jackson teamed to win first doubles, 8-4, while seniors Brennan Ferguson and Emily Eisenberg won second singles, 8-2.