MENDON, N.Y. (October 13, 2007) - Junior Rebecca Ryba rallied from being down 5-2 in the first set to post a thrilling 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory over junior Danielle Carinci (Oneida, N.Y.) on Saturday to clinch Stevens Institute of Technology's 5-4 win over third-seeded Nazareth College in the semifinals of the Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship in Mendon, N.Y. The match was played indoors at the Tennis Heaven facility due to cold and windy conditions in the area.

With the win, the second-seeded Ducks (13-2) advanced to Sunday's championship match where they will face top-seeded and two-time defending champion Ithaca College at noon in Mendon. The Bombers reached the finals with a 9-0 win over No. 4 seed Rochester Institute of Technology. Earlier this month, Stevens dropped an 8-1 decision at home to Ithaca; however, two of the doubles flights that the Bombers won were decided in tiebreakers. Sunday's winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship, which is held in the spring.

At No. 1 doubles, senior Dana Bacalla and freshman Allyson Kingman claimed a 9-7 victory over juniors Rachel Leonard (Palmyra, N.Y.) and Stephanie Parvan (Fairport, N.Y.). Junior Whitney Bender and Ryba followed with an 8-3 win against junior Jessica Faber (Skaneateles, N.Y.) and sophomore Jackie Martinez (Cortland, N.Y) at second doubles. In the third-flight, sophomore Natalie Schloeder and freshman Kendra Appleheimer dropped an 8-6 decision to senior Ellen Austin (Maine, N.Y.) and Carinci despite leading 5-0 at one point.

Bacalla led off singles play with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Parvan in the first flight. Leonard defeated Bender in straight-sets (6-0, 6-1) at No. 2 singles. Kingman tallied a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Martinez in the third flight. Appleheimer lost a tough match to Faber by the score of 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) at fourth singles. Sophomore Elizabeth Way (Gorham, N.Y.) registered a 6-1, 6-0 triumph for the Golden Flyers (5-6) over Schloeder at sixth singles.