HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 11, 2018) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's tennis team begins its journey for the program's first Empire 8 Conference title Friday against third-seeded St. John Fisher College. The Ducks defeated the Cardinals, 9-0, on September 10 and also earned a 5-3 decision in last season's semifinal.
The Ducks earned the second seed in the conference tournament for the third consecutive season and fifth time in program history. Stevens is currently on a six-match winning streak and will look to continue its momentum as they enter the postseason.
"We are excited to be hosting the 2018 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Conference Tournament here in Hoboken," said head coach Steve Gachko. "Our girls are excited to compete for our first Empire 8 championship on our home courts and have showed continued growth and confidence throughout the season. "If we stay mentally tough and trust the work we put in this season, we will put ourselves in a very good position to win."
Stevens has a very balanced line up, which has been a key to their success in 2018. Freshman Agatha Malinowski has burst on to the scene in her inaugural season on Castle Point, playing in the number one position in both singles and doubles. The three-time reigning E8 Player of the Week has put together a perfect regular season, going undefeated in singles play and pairing with junior Isabella Calandra to post a perfect doubles record. Senior Julia Earl, sophomores Makenna Sargis and Chelsea Braithwaite, freshman Alexis Fuda, along with Calandra have combined for 31 wins in singles competition, further showing the depth the Ducks have in their singles line-up.
Not to be outdone, Stevens' doubles line-up has been equally successful, posting a 25-2 record throughout the fall. With the match being decided at five points, Stevens will rely on its doubles pairings to get the Ducks off to a strong start in their respective matches.
St. John Fisher is making their second consecutive Empire 8 conference tournament as the No. 3 seed after going 8-2 on the season and 6-2 in the conference. The Cardinals are led by reigning E8 Rookie of the Year Kaili Saffran, who is 7-1 at No.1 singles and 6-2 at No. 1 doubles with partner Cassidy Bell.
On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Nazareth College takes on fourth-seeded Alfred University. The Golden Flyers are the reigning conference champions and went a perfect 8-0 in conference matches this season to earn their second consecutive number one seed. The Saxons are making their first appearance in the conference tournament since 2014 after going 7-6 on the season and 5-3 in the conference. The Golden Flyers edged Stevens 5-4 on Sept. 16 im Rochester. Stevens bested the Saxons 8-1 in Hoboken on Sept. 22.
Semifinal action begins at noon with Stevens taking on St. John Fisher, followed by the Nazareth and Alfred match, which will not begin before 3:00 p.m. All matches will take place on the Stevens Tennis Courts and the semifinal winners will meet in Saturday's Championship, which is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. The conference champion will receive an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Quick Links: E8 Tournament Central
