Ithaca Advances to Finals With Victory Over Hartwick
HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team began its quest for a 12
th consecutive conference title on Friday morning when it took to the courts at Houghton's Kerr-Pegula Field House for semifinal-round action in the 2016 Empire 8 Tournament. The Bombers showed why they were the runaway top seed at the tournament, as they easily dispatched fourth-seed Hartwick College, 5-0, in a match that did not require the full complement of nine matchups to decide a winner.
Ithaca has been no stranger to success in the Empire 8 Tournament. The team has qualified for the conference's postseason as either the first or second seed since the inception of tournament following the 1999 season. The Bombers' victory ensured that another long-standing streak of making the finals of the tournament would also continue, as their win over the Hawks propelled IC to its 18
th straight year of making the final round.
As has been the case throughout the regular season, Ithaca grabbed a stranglehold on the match during the doubles session. IC conceded just four total games across the three flights to take a commanding lead into singles play.
"Our doubles play has been a focus for us all season and I think that hard work showed itself today," head coach
Bill Austin said. "We were solid all-around during the doubles session and that really was the catalyst for today's result."
It was Ithaca's third-flight tandem of sophomore,
Kathryn Shaffer, and senior,
Maddie Overholt, that set the tone early. The duo posted a perfect 7-0 record during the regular season in dual match competitions and picked up right where they left off during Friday's matinee. Shaffer and Overholt completely dominated Hartwicks' third-flight grouping of Caitie O'Brien and Caitlin Hawley in an 8-0 sweep to give Ithaca the opening point.
The Bombers top-flight tandem of senior,
Haley Kusak, and sophomore,
Caroline Dunn, doubled the advantage shortly thereafter. Although the Hawks first grouping of Heidi Rice and Rose Natoli were able to snatch a game against IC's top duo, Kusak and Dunn rolled to an 8-1 victory.
The middle flight was the closest of the three doubles tilts, but Ithaca's scrappy combination of freshman,
Brianna Ruback, and sophomore,
Taylor Ginestro, had more than enough muscle to ensure the Bombers would take a commanding lead into singles play. Facing Hartwicks' most successful grouping during the regular season in Kelly Napolitano and Kelli Ryan, Ruback and Ginestro pulled away for an 8-3 triumph.
Needing just two more points to secure the match, the Bombers came out fast during the singles portion of the competition. Shaffer scored Ithaca's fourth point with a commanding 6-0, 6-0 straight-sets sweep of the Hartwicks' O'Brien in the fifth flight. The win pushed the Hawks to the brink. Dunn clinched the match for Ithaca just moments later when she dispatched Napolitano 6-0, 6-1 in the third flight.
With the five points in the bag, the rest of the match was suspended in-progress, although Ithaca led in the other four singles tilts that had not yet concluded. Kusak led Rice 6-1, 2-0 in the first flight. Ruback held a commanding 6-0, 4-0 lead on Natoli in the second flight. Senior,
Jodi Grosberg, had a significant 6-1, 4-0 advantage on Ryan in the fourth flight, while her classmate, Overholt, checked in with a 6-1, 2-1 lead over Hartwicks' Jackie LaSita in the sixth flight.
"We are going to rest and recharge both physically and mentally, as we get ready for another big match tomorrow," Austin concluded.
Ithaca returns to the courts for final round action at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. The Bombers will face the winner of this afternoon's other semifinal matchup pitting second-seeded Stevens against third-seed Nazareth.