Women's Tennis | 10/14/2025 1:00:00 PM
Hartwick College, SUNY Geneseo, Nazareth University, St. John Fisher University, Alfred University, Nazareth University, and Houghton University will vie for the 2025 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place with first round action on Tuesday, Oct. 14 and Wednesday, Oct. 15, followed by semifinal contests on Friday, Oct. 17 and the championship match Saturday, Oct. 18.
No. 3 seed Nazareth will host No. 6 Houghton in a one first round match at 4 p.m. Tuesday and No. 4 St. John Fisher is set to host No. 5 Alfred in opening round action, also from Nazareth at 6 p.m. Tuesday. From there, top-seed Hartwick will host the semifinals and championship matches. On Friday, the top-seeded Hawks will face the winner of St. John Fisher/Alfred in the first semifinal at 11 a.m., while No. 2 seed SUNY Geneseo will take on the winner of Nazareth/Houghton in the second semifinal match at 2 p.m. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2025 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at 2 p.m. Hartwick is looking for its second straight league championship and third in the last four seasons.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place starting May 8-10 with first, second and third round action. The 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Finals take place from May 18-25 at the Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, TN.
Hartwick enters the tournament as the top seed for the fourth straight season and is looking to earn its third E8 title after finishing a perfect 8-0 in league play this season. Hartwick is making its 15th appearance in the Empire 8 Tournament and is looking for its third E8 crown in the last four seasons. The Hawks are currently 11-2 overall and 8-0 in league play, having squandered just three points in eight E8 contests. Maddi Morrison, Gianna Leggieri and Maddie Van Valkenburgh enter the tournament having finished undefeated in league play at singles. Samantha Lantzy and Phoebe Olson are a strong 1-2 punch at first and second singles. Olson and Leggieri have led the way at first doubles, while Vanuga and Lantzy are undefeated in league play at second doubles. Van Valkenburgh and Morrison are also unblemished in league play at third doubles in 2025.
SUNY Geneseo, who advanced to the Empire 8 Championship in its first season as a league member in 2024, has an excellent 2025 season, earning the No. 2 seed with a 7-1 record in league play, having won 49-of-56 points in those matches. Natalie Pipes went undefeated in league play at first singles, while Samantha Rava was 8-0 in league play at second singles. Rachel Molloy and Joann Catalano also excelled at the third and fourth positions. Pipes and Catalano are a formidable first doubles team, while Malloy and Rava will look to continue its strong run at second doubles. After dropping a 5-3 decision to Hartwick on Sept. 6, the Knights only surrendered two points in league way the rest of the regular season.
Nazareth is looking to win its seventh league championship in program history. The Golden Flyers went 5-3 in league play during the regular season. Senior Catherine Zak has enjoyed a strong season to date with a 6-2 mark in league play at first singles. Kenna Ellis is 5-3 in league play at second singles, while Victoria Cioni is 6-2 in league play at fourth singles. Zak and Ellis are 8-3 at first doubles, 6-2 in league play, while Cioni and Anna Spencer have eight total wins at third doubles and have won five straight matches.
St. John Fisher, the No. 4 seed, clinched an Empire 8 postseason berth for the eighth time in the last nine seasons and is attempting to win its second league championship, having previously earned the 2019 title. Lily Miller enters the tournament with a perfect 8-0 mark on the season at third singles, while Lilly Renzi has four conference wins at first singles. Anna Exford enters the tourney with five singles wins in league play.
Alfred University, the 2023 Empire 8 Champions, is back in the tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Saxons finished 5-3 in league play. Alina Zabihailo, the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and 2023 All-Empire 8 first team selection, is having strong season with five wins at first singles, while Elizabeth Madsen, the 2023 E8 Rookie of the Year, also has five wins at second singles in league play. Allison Windisch, Becca Eppling and Alyssa Seegert have also made key contributions for the Saxons in 2025.
Houghton University is in the Empire 8 Tournament for the sixth time in program history. Sage Brinckerhoff and Arija Grant have split time at first and second singles, while the pair both have four wins in E8 play, tied for the team lead with Victoria Martinez. Grant and Brinckerhoff are 5-3 at first doubles in league play.
No. 3 Nazareth and No. 6 Houghton will meet for the second time in four days. The Golden Flyers ended the regular season with a 7-0 win on Oct. 11, while the Cardinals of St. John Fisher outlasted Alfred, 4-3 on Sept. 26.
This 2025 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).
2025 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
Tuesday, October 14 – First Round (at Nazareth University – Indoor or Outdoor)
No. 6 Houghton University at No. 3 Nazareth University – 4 p.m.
No. 5 Alfred University at No. 4 St. John Fisher University – 6 p.m.
Friday, October 17 – Semifinals hosted by Hartwick College)
Outdoor – Wilbur Park, Albert Morris Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820
Indoor – Tri City Fitness in Latham, NY. 944 Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110
No. 1 Hartwick College vs. Winner of No. 4 St. John Fisher/No. 5 Alfred - 11 a.m.
No. 2 SUNY Geneseo vs. Winner of No. 3 Nazareth/No. 6 Houghton -
2 p.m.
Saturday, October 18 – Championship hosted by Hartwick College)
Outdoor – Wilbur Park, Albert Morris Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820
Indoor – Tri City Fitness in Latham, NY. 944 Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 – 2 p.m.
Postseason Format:
Three 6-game doubles pro sets (doubles count as one point total) followed by six singles matches (singles matches count one point each) for a total of 7 team points. The team that wins two of the three doubles matches receives one dual match point. Each singles match is worth one point. Four or more points are required to win the dual match.
- Doubles matches played until one team wins two of the three doubles matches. If one team wins two doubles matches before the third is finished, the third match is unfinished.
- Singles matches played until the winning team earns four points (between doubles and singles) to clinch the match. Any matches that are not completed go into the stats as unfinished.
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.