Women's Tennis | 3/5/2021 9:22:22 AM
St. John Fisher will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champion, as seven teams will battle for the 2021 E8 Championship, as the upcoming season gets underway with league play on March 6. The Empire 8 expanded its postseason format for spring 2021, as the top-six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place from March 30-April 3. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on
Empire 8 TV.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2019 Standings)
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher is coming off a tremendous 2019 season in which they went undefeated in league play and won its first Empire 8 Championship. The Cardinals will have to replace four All-Empire 8 selections from 2019 but return junior Mikayla Santulli, who was named the 2019 Empire 8 Championship Most Outstanding Player. Seniors Alaina Bartl, Valerie Morgans, Amanda Thongsirimonghoun and Veronika Jurczuk and junior Jackie Chouinard will also be counted on to lead the way for the Cardinals in 2021.
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers look to challenge for the Empire 8 title in 2021 after making the league championship match in 2019. Graduate student Brooke Murphy is back after earning All-Empire 8 first team honors in singles and doubles in 2019. Senior Marissa Towers will look to build off an excellent 2019 campaign in which she garnered All-Empire 8 second team honors in doubles with sophomore Marissa Hecht. A veteran laden squad, Nazareth returns seven upperclassmen.
Sage
Sage is coming off an excellent 2019-20 season, having finished 10-4 overall, while advancing to the Empire 8 semifinals. The Gators won nine of their first 10 matches to open the season. Junior Kaitlin Banks, a 2019 All-Empire 8 honorable mention selection will lead the way for the Gators. Banks finished 8-4 last season. Classmate Taylor Gillespie is back after earning All-Empire 8 second team accolades in doubles, teaming with 2019-20 senior Becca Jackson to go 11-1. Senior Claire Connolly will also be counted on to be a key contributor in 2021.
Houghton
The Highlanders will look to build off a strong 2019-20 season in which they advanced to the Empire 8 semifinals. Junior Erin Haley is back after earning All-Empire 8 first team honors in 2019 in which she won eight singles matches, while playing primarily at second singles. Sophomore Elise Swanson returns after an impressive rookie season, where she earned All-Empire 8 second team accolades in singles and first team in doubles. Swanson is won eight matches at first doubles and six singles.
Alfred
Alfred will have a new look this season, with a very young roster that includes all freshmen and sophomores. Second-year standouts Isabelle Benoit, Cassondra Mark and Kailey Reyes will be counted on to lead the squad in 2021. Reyes and Benoit each won three singles matches a season ago, while Reyes added five doubles wins.
Utica
The Pioneers will look to make its first Empire 8 Tournament in 2021. Sophomore Morgan Willis is back after an impressive rookie season in which she won five matches. Bianca Bockhaus is back for her final season after winning a trio of match in 2019. First-year performer Ellen Lyga won four straight NYSPHSAA Section III Division IV Tennis Championships in singles at Utica Notre Dame.
Hartwick
Hartwick enters the 2021 season eager to garner an Empire 8 postseason berth. Juniors Victoria Wilson, Taylor D’Andrea and Jessica Best will be counted on to lead the way for the Hawks. Wilson will compete at first singles and was named Hartwick’s Most Valuable Player in 2019-20.
Final 2019 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Standings
St. John Fisher (9-2, 6-0 Empire 8) – League Champions
Nazareth (6-4, 5-1 E8)
Sage (10-4, 4-2 E8)
Houghton (4-8, 3-3 E8)
Alfred (2-10, 2-4 E8)
Utica (3-9, 1-5 E8)
Hartwick (1-12, 0-6 E8)
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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