Women's Tennis | 4/3/2021 3:07:51 PM
Top-seeded Nazareth College (8-0) rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 to defeat No. 2 seed St. John Fisher College (6-2) by a score of 6-3 in the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Women's Tennis Tournament Championship match Saturday from the Golisano Traning Center.
Nazareth receives an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place May 24-30 at the Bizantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, CA.
The Golden Flyers opened with a flourish, as the first doubles duo of Aliya Guzman and Brooke Murphy rolled to a decisive 8-2 win. St. John Fisher would rally and take a 2-1 lead after doubles play, as the second doubles duo of Valerie Morgans and Jackie Chouinard earned an 8-5 and third pairing of Veronika Jurczuk and Elizabeth Schneider also emerged victorious by the same 8-5 score.
Nazareth would take control in singles play. Guzman stayed undefeated by rolling to a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles. After Morgans picked up a straight-set win at third singles for St. John Fisher to reclaim a 3-2 team edge, Nazareth rallied.
Murphy, the 2021 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship Most Valuable Player, held off a stiff challenge from St. John Fisher's Kathryn Strait to win a three-set thriller at second singles to tie the match at 3-3. Rachel Cook gave the Golden Flyers the 4-3 lead with a straight-set win at fifth singles, before Caroline Keegan secured the team win for Nazareth with a three-set victory at fifth singles. Theresa Hecht also earned a straight-set win at sixth singles, as the two teams played out the match.
Nazareth won its fourth Empire 8 Championship and first since the 2017 season.
Today's match marked the second straight meeting between St. John Fisher and Nazareth in the Empire 8 Championship.
Saturday, April 3 - Championship
#1 Nazareth defeats #2 St. John Fisher, 6-3
2021 Empire 8 Championship Most Valuable Player: Brooke Murphy, Sr., Nazareth