HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 11, 2008) – On Saturday afternoon the Stevens Institute of Technology women's tennis team fell to Ithaca College by a score of 5-1 in the semifinals of the Empire 8 Championship. First-year player Nicole Portner and sophomore Kendra Appleheimer earned the only Stevens point as the duo defeated senior Alyssa Jaffe (Montvale, N.J.) and junior Devra Reiman (Maplewood, N.J.), 8-6 at second doubles. Ithaca will advance to take on the winner of No. 2 Rochester Institute of Technology versus No. 3 Nazareth College on Sunday at noon.

Match 1 - No. 1 Ithaca College defeated No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology, 5-1
Match 2 - No. 2 Rochester Institute of Technology defeated No. 3 Nazareth College, 5-0

Ithaca def. Stevens, 5-1
The match was stopped as soon as Ithaca reached the five points needed to secure the victory. The Bombers won at first and third doubles and first, third, and sixth singles.

Reiman defeated senior Whitney Bender 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles as Jaffe upended Portner 6-2, 6-0 at third singles. Junior Sarah Holus (Fairfield, Conn.) clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over freshman Morgan Scalzi at sixth singles.

The tandem of Bender and sophomore Allison Kingman were knocked off in first doubles by sophomore Agata Kubik (Czestochowa, Poland) and senior Natalie Jenerski (Butler, Pa.). Scalzi and freshman Mine Bese were defeated by sophomore Melanie Cohen (Ambler, Pa.) and Melissa Nunez (Rockaway, N.J.) at third doubles, 8-6.

RIT def. Nazareth, 5-0
The second-seeded Tigers swept in doubles play as sophomore Amanda Berg (Mendham, N.J.) and senior Brianne Francisco (Amsterdam, N.Y.) took down senior Rachel Leonard (Palmyra, N.Y.) and junior Jackeline Martinez (Cortland, N.Y.) in first doubles, 8-2. The tandem of senior Kseniya Klyachko (Whitesboro, N.Y.) upended seniors Danielle Carinci (Oneida, N.Y.) and Jessica Faber (Skaneateles, N.Y.), 8-3 at No. 2 doubles. The senior combination of Joanna Cash (Rochester, N.Y.) and Sara Paduano (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) defeated the tandem of junior Elizabeth Way (Gorham, N.Y.) and sophomore Sherrita Wilins (Rochester, N.Y.), 8-6 at third doubles.

Berg led off at No.1 singles having won in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) over Leonard to give the Tigers a commanding 4-0 lead. The deciding match came at sixth singles when Paduano took care of sophomore Kelly Noble (Homer, N.Y.) 6-3, 6-2 as RIT advances to the championship round to face Ithaca at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Even though the score may not reflect it, Nazareth was very close in pulling out the match. A rough start to doubles play is what really hurt the Golden flyers as they lead in the four remaining singles matches. At the conclusion of the match, Martinez was ahead of Francisco 6-4, 5-0 at second singles. Carinci was atop of Stanley 6-2, 5-3 at third singles, while Way was ahead of sophomore Michele Caporali (Endicott, N.Y.) 6-3, 6-5 at No. 4 singles. At fifth singles, Faber held a slight advantage over Cash in their 6-4, 4-1 battle that was taking place.

No.1 Ithaca will take on No.2 RIT at 10 a.m. at the Stevens Tennis Courts in Hoboken, N.J. on Sunday.

Ithaca def. RIT, 5-1
For the fourth year in a row, Ithaca College earned the Empire 8 title with a 5-1 win over Rochester Institute of Technology on Sunday at the Stevens Tennis Courts in Hoboken, N.J. The victory also provides an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship this spring. A strong doubles performance by the Bombers helped to propel the squad past the second seeded Tigers.

At first doubles, the tandem of Jenereski and Kubik upended Berg and Francisco, 8-6. Reiman and Jaffe defeated Klyachko and Stanley 8-3 at No. 2 doubles. Pulling out the sweep was at third doubles was Cohen and Nunez over Cash and Padauno 8-2.

The only victory for the Tigers came at No. 1 singles when Berg took down Reiman in straight sets (6-1, 6-0), having dropped in just one game. Ithaca's Jaffe defeated Stanley, 6-1, 6-1 at third singles to set up Cohen and claim the match with her 6-0, 6-2 victory over Caporali at No. 4 singles. FOr her performance at teh tournament, Jaffe was named the 2008 Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player.