Women's Tennis | 10/16/2026 5:13:20 PM
HOUGHTON, NY – No. 1 seed SUNY Geneseo and No. 6 seed Alfred University will meet for the 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Championship after earning semifinal victories on Friday from the Kerr-Pegula Field House on the campus of Houghton University. The Knights earned a 4-0 win over No. 4 seed Nazareth University, while Alfred defeated No. 2 seed St. John Fisher University, by a score of 4-2 score. The 2026 Empire 8 Championship will take place at the Kerr-Pegula Field House at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The winner of Saturday’s Empire 8 Championship match will earn the automatic bid into the 2027 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship, which begins May 14. Geneseo enters the E8 Championship match with a perfect 12-0 mark, while Alfred is 8-6. The Saxons are the first No. 6 seed to advance the Empire 8 Championship match.
The Knights are looking to earn their first Empire 8 Championship after advancing to the title game in each of their first two seasons in the league. Alfred is attempting to win its third E8 title in program history and first since 2023. Earlier in the regular season, Geneseo won in a league matchup between the two institutions, 7-0 on Sept. 12.
NO. 1 SUNY GENESEO 4, NO. 4 NAZARETH 0
SUNY Geneseo advanced to the Empire 8 Championship for the third straight season, as the top-seeded Knights recorded a 4-0 win over No. 4 Nazareth in the first E8 semifinal. It is the third straight season that Geneseo has defeated Nazareth in the E8 semifinals.
Geneseo won the doubles point, taking control at first and second doubles to win by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Natalie Pipes and JoAnn Catalano earned the win over Lily Brady and Anna Spencer at first doubles, while Samantha Rava and Rachel Malloy defeated Victoria Cioni and Aiynah Reed at second doubles.
In singles play, Geneseo’s depth reigned supreme, as the Knights earned decisive points at first, fifth, and sixth singles. Pipes cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Brady at the first spot, while Lauren Levatino earned a 6-0, 6-0 win at fifth singles and Talia Wutz won, 6-0, 6-0 at sixth singles to secure the win.
The Golden Flyers fell to 7-4 on the season. Nazareth advanced to the E8 Semifinals after defeating No. 5 SUNY Brockport, 4-1 in opening round action on Tuesday.
NO. 6 ALFRED 4, NO. 2 ST. JOHN FISHER 2
No. 6 Alfred continued its tremendous late season run going, defeating St. John Fisher for the second time in 13 days, this time by a score of 4-2 to advance to the E8 Championship match for the first time since 2023.
Alfred earned a hotly contested doubles point, as Alyssa Seegert and Becca Epping earned a 6-4 win over Isabella Busch and Adriana Colafranceschi at the first position and Elizabeth Madsen and Camryn Moore outlasted Fisher’s Lily Miller and Emma Mihajlovic at second doubles, 7-5.
The Cardinals would quick even the match at 1-1, as Colafranceschi defeated Epping by a score of 6-2, 6-0 at second singles. Alfred’s Alexis Gits would give the Saxons the lead back with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Madelyn Etter at fifth singles. Anna Exford of the Cardinals rallied from a 6-4 defeat in the opening set to defeat Moore 6-2 in set two and 6-1 in the third set to even the match at 2-2.
The Saxons would take control and earn the final two points, as Seegert earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over Miller at first singles and Madsen defeated Busch, 6-2, 6-2 at third singles.
The Saxons advanced to the semifinals after defeating No. 3 Hartwick College, the two-time defending champions, 4-3, on the road Tuesday in opening round action. St. John Fisher, who went 6-2 in E8 play during the regular season, fell to 7-4 overall.
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).
2026 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
Tuesday, October 13 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
No. 6 Alfred University defeated No. 3 Hartwick College, 4-3 – BOX SCORE
No. 4 Nazareth University defeated No. 5 SUNY Brockport, 4-1 – BOX SCORE
Friday, October 16 – Semifinals (hosted by SUNY Geneseo)
Indoors – Houghton University (Kerr-Pegula Field House) - 1 Willard Ave., Houghton, NY 14744
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 4 Nazareth University, 4-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 6 Alfred University defeated
No. 2 St. John Fisher University, 4-2 – BOX SCORE
Saturday, October 17 Championship (hosted by SUNY Geneseo)
Indoors – Houghton University (Kerr-Pegula Field House) - 1 Willard Ave., Houghton, NY 14744
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo vs. No. 6 Alfred University – 1 p.m.