Box Score Scores: Houghton College 5, Elmira College 4
Records: Houghton (6-3, 4-3 E8), Elmira (2-8, 1-5 E8)
Location: Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, N.Y.
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- Elmira College women's tennis came up just short in today's Empire 8 Conference match against Houghton College, as the Soaring Eagles fell by a 5-4 final score on EC's Class of 2018 Recognition Day.
Megan Fitzgerald '18 continued to add to her lengthy list of milestones, as the Thomaston, Connecticut, native became Elmira's career wins leader in singles (38) and doubles (40).
Fitzgerald, who already set a new program record for career combined wins a week ago, stands alone as EC's all-time wins leader across the board in every major category. Her 8-4 doubles victory with partner
Katy Jewett '21 increased her four-year win total to 40 matches, surpassing former EC great Olivia Garcia '05. Then a dominant 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles brought her collegiate singles win total to 38 matches, which vaulted her past former teammate Ayaka Yoshino '16 for the top spot.
Today's contest began with Elmira winning two of the three doubles matches, as the Purple and Gold claimed wins at the first and third positions. Fitzgerald and Jewett were 8-4 winners at No. 1, while freshmen duo
Cassie Brown '21 and
Eliza Johnson '21 edged their opponents at No. 3 by an 8-6 final score. With the two wins, Elmira entered singles play with a 2-1 lead over the Highlanders.
Houghton tied the match with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles, but senior
Emily Green '18 put the Purple and Gold back on top, 3-2, with a 6-1, 6-3 win at the No. 3 spot. The win was Green's fifth of the season, as she leveled her 2017 fall record to 5-5.
Fellow senior Fitzgerald cruised at the No. 1 position with a 6-2, 6-0 victory, which extended Elmira's lead to 4-2. The win was Fitzgerald's seventh singles victory of the season, as she remained unbeaten in singles matches at the Murray Athletic Center (5-0).
Elmira needed one more win at one of the remaining three singles matches, but the Highlanders proved to be up for the challenge, as the visitors picked up straight-set victories at the fourth, fifth and sixth positions to secure a 5-4 comeback win over the Soaring Eagles.
Scores
Singles
1.
Megan Fitzgerald (ELMIRA) def. Tori Noller (HOUGHTON) 6-2, 6-0
2. Laura Jacuzzo (HOUGHTON) def.
Eliza Johnson (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-0
3.
Emily Green (ELMIRA) def. Kaylee Jentsch (HOUGHTON) 6-1, 6-3
4. Courtney Grippo (HOUGHTON) def.
Sarah Hill (ELMIRA) 6-2, 6-1
5. Amanda Carl (HOUGHTON) def.
Danielle Bliss (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-0
6. Alicia Cline (HOUGHTON) def.
Cheyanne Holwell (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
1. Fitzgerald/Jewett (ELMIRA) def. Noller/Jacuzzo (HOUGHTON) 8-4
2. Lewis/Jentsch (HOUGHTON) def. Green/Hill (ELMIRA) 8-3
3. Brown/Johnson (ELMIRA) def. Grippo/Carl (HOUGHTON) 8-6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)
News and Notes
- Today's match was the final home contest of the 2017 fall season for the Soaring Eagles.
- Elmira honored its two graduating members of the Class of 2018: Fitzgerald and Green.
- Fitzgerald became Elmira's all-time wins leader in singles (38) and doubles (40).
- Fitzgerald is the first player in EC's history to reach 40 career doubles wins.
- Fitzgerald ended the fall season with an unblemished 5-0 singles record at the MAC.
- Green earned her fifth singles victory of the season, a career best for the senior.
- Jewett and Fitzgerald improved to 8-2 at No. 1 doubles this season.
Up Next
Elmira is back in action next Saturday, October 7, when the Purple and Gold head to Hoboken, New Jersey, to take on the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology. The opening serve for Saturday's Empire 8 Conference match is set for 12:00 p.m.
