ITHACA, N.Y. (October 19, 2013) – Fourth-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology dropped an Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship semifinal final match to top-seeded host Ithaca College Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y. The Ducks fell by a 5-1 final with junior standout Jessica Bourque earning the Stevens tally with a No. 1 singles win.
 
The match started with Ithaca earning a trio of points in doubles action. Bourque and junior Lisa Tessitore battled Cristine Nunez and Allison Young in the top flight but the hosts earned an 8-6 decision. It was the Stevens duo's (Bourque and Tessitore) first dual-match loss of the season and third overall after starting the year 16-0 and claiming the ITA's Northeast title and a seventh-place finish at the national championships.
 
In singles action, Bourque did not drop a single game to earn a win at No. 1, taking the first set 6-0, and going up 3-0 before Nunez retired. Tessitore was ahead after a first-set win at the time of Ithaca's fifth and final point at second singles.
 
The Bombers (9-0) tallied official wins at fourth and fifth singles to account for points four and five of the match and were leading at third and sixth.
 
Stevens has earned a berth in the Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship each year since 2007-08 when the Ducks (8-3) joined the conference (six-straight tournament appearances). Ithaca, the tournament's top-seed, will face the winner of second-seeded Elmira College and third-seeded Nazareth College Sunday. The Bombers have won eight-straight E8 titles dating back to 2005.

Empire 8 Semifinal
10/19/13 at Ithaca, N.Y.
(Wheeler Tennis Courts)

Ithaca 5, Stevens 1

Singles
1. Jessica Bourque (SITW) def. Cristina Nunez (IC), by default
2. Haley Kusak (IC) vs. Lisa Tessitore (SITW) 4-6, 4-1, unfinished
3. Allison Vizgaitis (IC) vs. Danielle Stewart (SITW) 6-4, 1-0, unfinished
4. Carly Siegel (IC) def. Elena Cocineva-Lenge (SITW) 6-2, 6-0
5. Marni Blumenthal (IC) def. Jillian Morneau (SITW) 6-0, 6-0
6. Alyssa Steinweis (IC) vs. Lily Bruenjes (SITW) 6-3, 4-1, unfinished

Doubles
1. Cristina Nunez/Allison Young (IC) def. Jessica Bourque/Lisa Tessitore (SITW) 8-6
2. Marni Blumenthal/Haley Kusak (IC) def. Elena Cocineva-Lenge/Danielle Stewart (SITW) 8-3
3. Alyssa Steinweis/Allison Vizgaitis (IC) def. Lily Bruenjes/Allie Masciana (SITW) 8-2

Team Records
Ithaca 9-0
Stevens 8-3

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,5,4)