LANCASTER, Pa. - The University of Scranton women's tennis team fought hard all afternoon, but host Elizabethtown was able to get past the Royals, 5-0, in the 2017 Landmark Conference Championship match on Sunday.
Due to rain, the match was played indoors at Racquet Club West in Lancaster.
With the defeat, Scranton ends their 2017 season with an 8-9 overall mark, while Elizabethtown improved to 13-4 with the win. The Blue Jays, who captured their third straight Landmark Conference title with today's win, will now move onto the NCAA Division III Tournament, earning the conference's automatic bid.
In doubles, Elizabethtown took their first point of the afternoon with an 8-3 win at number two.
At one and three doubles, however, the Royals and Blue Jays battled. But, in both matches, Elizabethtown was able to overcome early deficits to take a 3-0 lead on Scranton, winning at number one, 8-6, and at number three on a tiebreak (9-8 (7-5)).
Down by three entering singles, Elizabethtown needed just two victories to clinch the match, and did just that, winning at two and three in straight sets to clinch the Landmark Conference Championship.
Despite losing today's match, it was a successful 2016-17 campaign for the young Royals, who started just one senior in the lineup on Sunday.
The championship match marked the seventh time in program history that Scranton played for the Landmark title since joining the conference in the 2007-08 academic year, and the third time in the last four years that the Royals played for the conference title, as well.
Elizabethtown 5, Scranton 0
May 7, 2017 at Lancaster, Pa. (Racquet Club West)
Singles competition
1. Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) vs. Nastashia DeNunzio (SCR) 4-6, 4-3, unfinished
2. Madison McCall (ETOWN) def. Emily Machado (SCR) 6-1, 6-2
3. Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) def. Emilia Jakubek (SCR) 6-3, 6-2
4. Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) vs. Elyse Smilnak (SCR) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0, unfinished
5. Amber Burd (ETOWN) vs. Sakira Fussner (SCR) 6-2, 2-0, unfinished
6. Brooke Hillriegel (ETOWN) vs. Emily Kelly (SCR) 0-6, 0-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Taylor Helsel/Madison McCall (ETOWN) def. Emily Machado/Emilia Jakubek (SCR) 8-6
2. Meghan Chemidlin/Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) def. Nastashia DeNunzio/Emily Kelly (SCR) 8-3
3. Amber Burd/Laura Gribble (ETOWN) def. Elyse Smilnak/Katherine Loughlin (SCR) 9-8 (7-5)
Match Notes
Scranton 8-9
Elizabethtown 13-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,3)
Landmark Conference Championship: (2) Elizabethtown vs. (4) Scranton
Match moved indoors to Racquet Club West due to rain
Elizabethtown wins third straight Landmark Championship
Tournament MVP: Meghan Chemidlin, Elizabethtown
Official: Alison Burlingame T-2:31 A-70
--ROYALS--
