Ithaca Sweeps Elmira 9-0
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team pushed its record to 3-0 in Empire 8 play on Thursday, blowing past Elmira for a 9-0 sweep. The victory stretched the Bombers' conference winning streak to 13 consecutive matches, while it was the team's second straight 9-0 sweep this season.
Ithaca got things going with a dominant performance in doubles play.
Taylor Ginestro and
Jodi Grosberg opened the team scoring with an 8-0 sweep over Danielle Bliss and Cheyanne Howell in the third flight.
Kathryn Shaffer and
Maddie Overholt kept the momentum rolling with an 8-1 thumping of Sarah Hill and Emily Green in flight two.
Ithaca's closest battle in doubles came in the top flight. The tandem of
Haley Kusak and
Brianna Ruback outlasted Elmira's Tilila El Yazidi and Megan Fitzgerald. The win gave Ithaca a commanding 3-0 lead.
The Bombers carried their momentum into singles play, quickly wrapping up the match with victories in the third and fourth flights.
Shaffer led off the scoring with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Bliss in the fourth flight. Grosberg clinched the match shortly thereafter with a 6-1, 6-1 victory in the third flight to up Ithaca's lead to a decisive 5-0.
IC went on to post two more sweeps in the second and sixth flights. Ruback pushed Ithaca's lead to 6-0 with a straight-sets sweep of Elmira's Fitzgerald in the second flight. Ginestro also secured a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over the Soaring Eagles' Holwell.
The closest battle in singles play again came in the top flight, but Kusak posted a strong win over El Yazidi. The IC senior won 6-2, 6-3 to up her career win total to 49 singles matches. Overholt wrapped up the sweep with a 6-1, 6-3 win in the fifth flight.
Scores
Singles
1. Haley Kusak (ITHACA) def.
Tilila El Yazidi (ELMIRA) 6-2, 6-3
2. Brianna Ruback (ITHACA) def.
Megan Fitzgerald (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
3. Jodi Grosberg (ITHACA) def.
Emily Green (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-1
4. Kathryn Shaffer (ITHACA) def.
Danielle Bliss (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
5. Maddie Overholt (ITHACA) def.
Sarah Hill (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-3
6. Taylor Ginestro (ITHACA) def.
Cheyanne Holwell (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Kusak/Ruback (ITHACA) def. El Yazidi/Fitzgerald (ELMIRA) 8-4
2. Shaffer/Overholt (ITHACA) def. Green/Hill (ELMIRA) 8-1
3. Ginestro/Grosberg (ITHACA) def. Bliss/Holwell (ELMIRA) 8-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,3,2,6,1,5)