Ithaca Steams Past Houghton 9-0
Final Box (PDF)
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team made it five wins in five contests on Tuesday afternoon, dismantling Houghton 9-0 at the Wheeler Tennis Courts. The Bombers were clinical in there play against the Highlanders, conceding just nine total games to notch their fourth consecutive 9-0 sweep in Empire 8 dual-match play.
It what has been a given during the early part of this season, IC got off to a fast start with three victories in the doubles portion of play to grab a strangle hold on the match. IC conceded just three games in tandems play, controlling matters from the outset.
The first doubles group to finish was the first flight, as senior,
Haley Kusak, and sophomore,
Caroline Dunn, scored an 8-2 win over Houghton's Caroline Phillips and Toni Kling. The resounding victory was a great result, as the group carries significant momentum into their upcoming tandem appearance at the ITA Northeast Regionals this coming weekend.
The strong play continued in the third flight, as sophomore,
Kathryn Shaffer, and senior,
Maddie Overholt, proved too much for the Highlanders to contend with. Although the visitors scored an early game, the Bombers duo carried play throughout for the 8-1 win. Freshman,
Brianna Ruback, and sophomore,
Taylor Ginestro, continued to be dominant in the second flight. The duo swept Houghton's tandem of Courtney Grippo and Amanda Carl 8-0.
Ithaca quickly locked up the match during singles play with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 sweeps in the third and sixth flights. Dunn was first to finish her singles match, defeating Jacquelyn Lewis in straight sets. Overholt sealed the match in the sixth flight, handling Houghton's Amy Brennfleck in straight sets.
Ruback and Kusak quickly extended the Bombers lead in the top two flights. Ruback made it 6-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 victory in the second flight. Kusak controlled matters from the outset of her top-flight matchup with Houghton's Phillips, winning 11 straight games, before settling for a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Ithaca wrapped things up with two more victories in the fifth and sixth flights. Shaffer added to IC's string of commanding wins with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over the Highlanders' Grippo.
In the tightest match of the afternoon, senior,
Jodi Grosberg, downed Houghton's Toni Kling 6-0, 6-4. The Ithaca senior won 11 of the first 13 games in the match, but the Highlander netter would prove difficult to finish off. Kling staved off elimination for one break to cut the second set to 5-4. However, after a quick chat with head coach
Bill Austin, Grosberg scored four straight points to finish out the match.
Ithaca returns to action this coming weekend when Kusak, Ruback and Dunn travel to Geneva, N.Y., to represent the Bombers at the ITA Northeast Regionals. Ithaca returns to dual match play on Wednesday, September 28, when it travels to Hartwick. The match with the Hawks is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m.