Women's Tennis | 10/17/2019 9:25:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – For the first time in its history, the St. John Fisher College women's tennis team will enter the postseason as the top overall seed as the Empire 8 Championship is set to begin at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Mendon Racquet and Pool Club. Top-seeded Fisher will take on fourth-seeded Houghton College in the semifinal round while second-seeded Nazareth College dukes it out with third-seeded Sage Colleges on the other side of the bracket. The winner of each semifinal will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the Empire 8 Championship and a berth into the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship.
The Cardinals earned the top overall seed in the four-team field courtesy of an unblemished 6-0 mark in conference play. Head coach
Linda Gohagan's squad was a force to be reckoned with in conference play after winning 30-of-36 singles matches and 15-of-18 matches in doubles competition.
Senior
Kaili Saffran, who is the reigning Empire 8 Player of the Week, was unbeaten in singles play this year as the Webster native will enter Friday's tilt at 9-0 at first singles. The Cardinals will turn to
Cassidy Bell at second singles with the junior having gone 6-3 on the year in that flight including a 4-2 mark against Empire 8 competition. At third singles,
Cydney Bell and
Mikayla Santulli have combined to go 5-3 while Bell has also contributed three wins at fourth singles. At fifth singles and sixth singles, Gohagan has options for the lineup card with
Amanda Thongsirimonghoun (4-2),
Jacqueline Chouinard (4-0) and
Valerie Morgans (2-2) all capable. In all, Fisher has posted a combined 14-6 mark at fifth and sixth singles this season.
In doubles play, the Cardinals have proven to be formidable as well with Saffran and
Cassidy Bell having combined to go 4-2 in conference play in the first flight. At second doubles,
Zuzanna Pociecha and
Mikayla Santulli along with the tandem of
Veronika Jurczuk and Pociecha have gone 2-0 against the Empire 8 while Chouinard and
Valerie Morgans are 4-1 against conference competition at third doubles.
The 2020 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship is scheduled to take place May 18-23 at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. The Cardinals will be seeking their first-ever Empire 8 Championship.
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