Women's Tennis | 5/9/2025 6:32:00 PM
BRUNSWICK, ME - The Hartwick women's tennis team wrapped up its remarkable 2024-25 campaign, falling to a talented The College of New Jersey Lions squad, 4-0 in the opening round of the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship on Friday afternoon, hosted by Bowdoin College. TCNJ, the New Jersey Athletic Conference Champion, improved to 13-6, while Hartwick, the E8 Champion, had its season end with a 14-4 mark.
Hartwick prepared themselves for a chilly matchup against The College of New Jersey at Bowdoin College, with temperatures just above 40 degrees at the start of the match.
The Hawks punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship for the second time in three years with a 5-0 sweep over new conference foe, SUNY Geneseo on October 19th.
The Lions, who are no strangers to the NCAA Tournament, secured their 42nd consecutive conference championship, defeating Stockton 4-0 to extend the NCAA's longest active championship streak.
With the first matchup between the two teams in program history underway, TCNJ struck first. Lily Vanuga (Springville, N.Y.) and Samantha Lanzty (Valatie, N.Y.) fought hard but were upended 6-1 at the No.3 doubles spot.
Gianna Leggieri (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) and Ryann Ashby (Malta, N.Y.) battled their counterparts relentlessly, having the upper hand through a tight battle at the No.2 doubles spot.
The Empire 8 Doubles Team of the Year Alexandra Krasinska (Pine Island, N.Y.) and Phoebe Olson (Jamestown, N.Dak.) faced a tall task at the No.1 doubles spot, matching up with the regionally ranked tandem of Zoey Albert and Shruti Mannan of TCNJ.
Krasinska and Olson went toe to toe with arguably the best tandem in Region II but fell just short of a monumental feat, being bested 6-4 to conclude doubles play.
Ashby and Leggieri held a 4-3 lead over the Lions at the No.2 doubles spot before abandoning play due to TCNJ securing the doubles point with wins at the No.1 and No.3 courts.
The Lions imposed their will in singles play, boasting the firepower of their stacked lineup in all six spots, opening with a straight set win at the No.2 spot.
TCNJ grabbed their third match with a victory at the No.5 spot before clinching their final match at No.4 singles.
Leggieri earned the first set over Gabrielle Brideau before the match was retired, taking the first set 6-3.
The Empire 8 Player of the Year Alex Krasinska was ready for battle at the No.1 singles spot, matching up with the regionally ranked NJAC Player of the Year, Zoey Albert. Krasinska and Albert both displayed their incredible talent but Albert took set one after a long winded clash, but were unable to finish the match.
The Hawks made TCNJ work for every point, game, and set, displaying great effort and mental fortitude but the Region II giant prevailed. The College of New Jersey secured an opening round victory in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season.
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