Score: Ithaca College 9 – Elmira College 0
Records: Ithaca: 3-0 (3-0 E8), Elmira 1-4 (0-3 E8)
Location: Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, N.Y.
 
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's tennis team faced a tough test this afternoon at the Murray Athletic Center, as the Soaring Eagles clashed with 11-time defending Empire 8 champs, Ithaca College. Elmira put forth a good effort, but the Bombers proved to be too much this evening, earning a 9-0 win over the Purple and Gold.
 
Ithaca raced to a 2-0 lead by earning a pair of quick wins at second and third doubles. The match at first doubles looked like it had the chance to finish just as quickly, but EC's tandem of Tilila El Yazidi '20 and Megan Fitzgerald '18 made things difficult for their counterparts from Ithaca.
 
After falling in an early 3-0 hole, El Yazidi and Fitzgerald rallied to win three of the next four games to bring the score to 4-3. However, Ithaca tightened things up from there on out to take the match by an 8-4 final.
 
Singles action was controlled by the Bombers as well, as Elmira dropped all six contests in straight sets. El Yazidi had an entertaining match at first singles against the reigning Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year, Haley Kusak. Although Kusak would walk away with a victory, it did not come easy, as El Yazidi took five games in the 6-2, 6-3 loss. The five games surrendered by Kusak are the most an Empire 8 opponent has taken from the senior since the 2014-15 season. 
 
Scores
Singles
1. Haley Kusak (ITHACA) def. Tilila El Yazidi (ELMIRA) 6-2, 6-3
2. Brianna Ruback (ITHACA) def. Megan Fitzgerald (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
3. Jodi Grosberg (ITHACA) def. Emily Green (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-1
4. Kathryn Shaffer (ITHACA) def. Danielle Bliss (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
5. Maddie Overholt (ITHACA) def. Sarah Hill (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-3
6. Taylor Ginestro (ITHACA) def. Cheyanne Holwell (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles
1. Kusak/Ruback (ITHACA) def. El Yazidi/Fitzgerald (ELMIRA) 8-4
2. Shaffer/Overholt (ITHACA) def. Green/Hill (ELMIRA) 8-1
3. Ginestro/Grosberg (ITHACA) def. Bliss/Holwell (ELMIRA) 8-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,3,2,6,1,5)
 
News and Notes

• Elmira falls to 1-4 on the year and 0-3 in E8 play.
• El Yazidi and Fitzgerald had their win streaks snapped this evening.
• El Yazidi took the most games off of Ithaca's Kusak in E8 play since the 2014-15 season.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action this Saturday, September 17th, when the Soaring Eagles welcome Bard College and RIT to the Southern Tier for a pair of non-conference matches. EC squares off with Bard at 9:30 a.m., before concluding the day's action with a 4:30 p.m. showdown with RIT. All matches will be played at the outdoor tennis courts at the Ernie Davis Academy, while the Murray Athletic Center will serve as the indoor backup in case of inclement weather.