Women's Tennis | 10/14/2024 12:09:15 PM
Hartwick College, SUNY Geneseo, Nazareth University, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher University and SUNY Brockport will vie for the 2024 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place with first round action on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Wednesday, Oct. 16, followed by semifinal contests on Friday, Oct. 18 and the championship match Saturday, Oct. 19.
No. 4 seed Russell Sage will host No. 5 St. John Fisher from Utica University in a first round match Tuesday and No. 3 Nazareth is set to host No. 6 SUNY Brockport in opening round action Wednesday. From there, top-seed Hartwick will host the semifinals and championship matches from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. On Friday, the top-seeded Hawks will face the winner of Russell Sage/St. John Fisher in the first semifinal at 12 p.m., while No. 2 seed SUNY Geneseo will take on the winner of Nazareth/SUNY Brockport in the second semifinal match at 3 p.m. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2023 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at 2 p.m. Hartwick is looking for its second league championship in the last three seasons.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place starting May 9-11 with first, second and third round action. The 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Finals take place from May 20-27 at the Bizantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, CA.
Hartwick enters the tournament as the top seed for the third straight season and is looking to earn its second E8 title after finishing a perfect 8-0 in league play this season. Hartwick is making its 14th appearance in the Empire 8 Tournament and is looking for its second E8 crown in the last three seasons. The Hawks are currently 10-1 overall and 8-0 in league play, having squandered just a combined five points in eight E8 contests. Alexandra Krasinska, a two-time E8 weekly honoree, is 8-2 overall and 7-0 in E8 play at first singles, while recording a 10-1 record at first doubles, playing primarily with Phoebe Olson. Olson has won five matches at first singles as well. Samantha Lantzy is 10-1, playing mostly third singles, while Lily Vanuga, Ryann Ashby, Lantzy and Vanuga are undefated at second doubles, while Ashby and Gianna Leggieri are 6-1 at second doubles.
SUNY Geneseo has an excellent debut as an Empire 8 member, earning the No. 2 seed with a 7-1 record in league play. Natalie Pipes has six wins at first singles, while Samantha Rava is 8-0 at second singles. Rachel Molloy is also unblemished this season at 8-0, flipping between third and fourth singles. Katie Kujawa and Joann Catalano are also strong singles players. Pipes and Rava are a formidable first doubles team. The Knights enter the tourney with a 20-4 mark in doubles this season.
Nazareth is looking to win its seventh league championship in program history. The Golden Flyers went 6-2 in league play during the regular season. Catherine Zak has enjoyed a strong season to date with a 7-3 mark at first singles. Kenna Ellis is 7-4 at second singles, while Sarah Stone has the same mark at third singles. Victoria Cioni, Ali Klee and Anna Spencer are mainstays in the singles lineup. Zak and Ellis are 9-2 at first doubles, while Cioni and Spencer have seven wins at third doubles.
Russell Sage has enjoyed an excellent 2024 season, setting a program record for conference wins in a season. The No. 4 seed Gators will host its first E8 women’s tennis postseason match. The duo of first-year standout Marian Aguirre and junior Tirzah Spivey are undefeated in singles play this season. Aguirre is 10-0 at first singles, while Spivey is 11-0 at second singles. Emma Nuzzi is 6-4 at third singles. Aguirre and Olivia Monaco are a combined 11-1 in second doubles this season, while Nuzzi and Spivey are 8-3 at first doubles. Aguirre has garnered three E8 weekly honors this season, while Spivey has two.
St. John Fisher, the No. 5 seed, clinched an Empire 8 postseason berth for the seventh time in the last eight seasons and is attempting to win its second league championship, having previously earned the 2019 title. Maddy Langley has played first singles for the Cardinals in 2023, while Lilly Renzi, Eliana Kelly, Lily Miller, Grace Fisher and Abby Garvey have also played a key role in St. John Fisher’s success this season.
SUNY Brockport enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed in its first season as an Empire 8 member. The Golden Eagles earned three wins in league play. Olivia Raschiatore, Cara Vasile, Lena Paolicelli, Sophie Langdon, Grace Trebilcock and Erin McMichael are set to lead the way for the Golden Eagles into the postseason. Paolicelli and Kathleen Rogers were named the E8 Doubles Team of the Week on Sept. 2.
Both first round matchups feature regular season rematches from late September. Nazareth defeated SUNY Brockport, 7-2 on the road, Sept. 27, while Russell Sage outlasted St. John Fisher, 5-4 on the road on the following day.
This 2024 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Tournament Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).
2024 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
Tuesday, October 15 – First Round (at Utica University)
No. 5 St. John Fisher University at No. 4 Russell Sage College - 3 p.m.
Wednesday, October 16 – First Round
No. 6 SUNY Brockport at No. 3 Nazareth University -
4 p.m.
Friday, October 18 – Semifinals hosted by Hartwick College
Outdoor - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sharp Courts, Burdett Rd., Troy, NY 12180
Indoor - Tri City Fitness, 944 Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110
No. 1 Hartwick College vs. Winner of No. 4 Russell Sage/No. 5 St. John Fisher - 12 p.m.
No. 2 SUNY Geneseo vs. Winner of No. 3 Nazareth/No. 6 SUNY Brockport -
3 p.m.
Saturday, October 19 – Championship hosted by Hartwick College
Outdoor - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sharp Courts, Burdett Rd., Troy, NY 12180
Indoor - Tri City Fitness, 944 Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 – 2 p.m.
Format: Dual match is played until decision (5 points) Three doubles matches are followed by six singles matches. No-ad scoring for both singles and doubles matches. Singles matches will play two out of three sets. Doubles play eight pro set with a twelve-point tiebreaker at 7-all.
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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