CUNYAC's two championship tennis teams, Baruch College's Men's Tennis and Hunter College Women's Tennis team (who won the title back in October) each won their respective opening matches at the NCAA Division III Championships on Friday. Baruch blanked UMass-Dartmouth, 5-0, while Hunter was down 2-1 after doubles to beat Penn State-Behrend, 5-3. But on Saturday, with each team facing a top ten Nationally-ranked opponent, Johns Hopkins defeated Hunter, 5-0 and Bowdoin beat Baruch, 5-0 to close out CUNYAC's very successful tennis season.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
BOWDOIN 5, BARUCH 0 • BOXSCORE
The Baruch men’s tennis team lost a 5-0 second round NCAA contest to #10-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears on Saturday morning in Brunswick, Maine. Bowdoin won all three doubles and two singles to post the shutout victory on their home court.
Stephan Muller was leading at #4 singles with a 6-4, 3-2 score, but the match was halted after Bowdoin posted their fifth point to advance to Sunday’s regional final against the afternoon winner between #8 ranked Trinity (Texas) and #22 ranked Skidmore.
The Bearcats finish the season with 16 wins and 3 losses. The 16 wins are an all-time season record for the men’s tennis team. For complete results click on the boxscore link above.
BARUCH 5, UMASS-DARTMOUTH 0 • BOXSCORE
The men’s tennis team defeated the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, 5-0, in a first round NCAA contest played on Friday afternoon on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. The Bearcats (16-2) won all three doubles and two singles to record their second-ever team victory in the NCAA Tournament. The previous victory in the NCAA was on May 4, 2007, as they defeated Alvernia by the score of 5-4. Today’s victory was also the 16th of the season, which sets the all-time team record for most wins in a season.
The Bearcats advance to the second round on Saturday morning to play national power and #10-ranked Bowdoin College from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The match at Bowdoin’s Pickard Courts is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.
Christopher Jenkins led the visiting Bearcats with a quick singles victory at the third flight, 6-0, 6-4. He combined with Stephan Muller for an 8-3 victory at second doubles. Joe Laskowski, the CUNYAC Rookie of the Year, won at sixth singles (6-3, 6-2) and combined with Phillip Bleustein at third doubles for an 8-3 win. For complete results click on the boxscore link above.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
JOHNS HOPKINS 5, HUNTER 0 • BOXSCORE
The Hunter College women's tennis team saw its NCAA run come to close after suffering a 5-0 defeat against Johns Hopkins University on Saturday at the Battleground Outdoor Complex in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Hunter found itself in a hole early after Johns Hopkins (17-5) took a 3-0 lead in doubles play. Third doubles saw Elain Baik and Stephanie Rettig get past Gina Yeo and Beth Chapnick, 8-0 while Abby Clark and Shannon Herndon defeated Stephanie Ahwireng and Caroline Kaleda, 8-0 at second doubles. Jane Selegean and Jennifer Kraham managed to win a game at first singles but still fell to Hailey Hogan and Nandita Krishnan, 8-1.
With three wins, the Blue Jays needed just two more to advance to the third round of the tournament. At fourth singles, Herndon got past Kaleda, 6-0 in straight sets while Clark defeated Yeo in similar fashion at fifth singles to take today's match, 5-0.
Hunter won its 12th CUNYAC Championship title back in the fall to earn the trip to the NCAAs. It marks the second straight year the Hawks have advanced to the second round of the tournament. Hunter ends the year with an 11-7 mark.
HUNTER 5, PENN-STATE BEHREND 3 • BOXSCORE
The Hunter College women's tennis team completed a comeback victory against Penn State-Behrend to defeat the Lions, 5-3. With the victory, the Hawks improved to 11-6 and advanced to the second round.
Hunter trailed 2-1 following an intense doubles battle. Jane Selegean and Jennifer Kraham doubled up to defeat Stephanie Cattron and Leslie Durante, 8-1 at first singles. The second doubles match went to the Lions as Jade Buhite and Rachel Harris took down Stephanie Ahwireng and Caroline Kaleda, 8-5. The final doubles match was a back and forth battle which went to the Lions, 9-8 as Gina Yeo and Beth Chapnick fell to Megan Nochese and Carissa Zozos.
Selegean prevailed at first singles, 2-1. After falling in the first set 6-2 Selegean bounced back to win 6-1 in straight sets. Kraham won second singles to put the Hawks ahead as she knocked off Durante 6-3 and 6-1. The Lions tied the match up at 3-all with a win at fourth singles as Nochese defeated Kaleda, 6-1 in two sets. Fifth singles went to the Hawks as Yeo defeated Harris with yet another Hunter comeback. After dropping the first set 6-2 Yeo battled back to claim the second 6-2 before winning the third 6-1. Beth Chapnick capture the final victory of the day, defeating Smith 6-3 and 6-4 to cement Hunter's victory.
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