Rochester, N.Y. -- The top-seeded women's tennis team (10-0) wrapped up its fifth straight Empire 8 title, blanking second-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology 5-0 in Sunday's Empire 8 Championship Tournament final. The Bombers, who became the first team to shut out every opponent in the conference tournament, earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs which begin in May. Freshman Cristina Nunez (Morris HillsRockaway, N.J.), was named Tournament MVP.
Playoff pairings for the NCAA Championship Tournament will be announced following the completion of the spring season. The Bombers will be making their fourth straight appearance; Ithaca is the only school to ever represent the Empire 8 in the NCAA playoffs.
The win was Ithaca's 42nd in a row over an Empire 8 opponent (30 straight regular-season matches and 12 consecutive wins in postseason play). Sunday's win gave the Bombers their eighth Empire 8 title since women's tennis became a conference sport 11 years ago. Since the league became an all-sports conference in 1999, Ithaca has won 99 of the Empire 8's 188 championships.
The Bombers -- who posted their second straight unbeaten fall season -- swept the three doubles matches and won the first two singles matches played to completion to clinch the 5-0 win. Three other singles contests had begun; Ithaca was leading all three.
Cristina Nunez improved to 16-2 in singles and remained unbeaten in dual matches with a straight-set win at first singles.
Junior #Melanie Cohen# (Hatboro-Horsham/Ambler, Pa.) was a 6-0, 6-0 winner at fourth singles for the second day in a row, raising her season record to 9-4.
Senior Devra Reiman (Columbia/Maplewood, N.J.) as up 1-0 in the second set (after claiming the first 6-3) at third singles. Junior Agata Kubik (C.K. Norwid Gen. LyceumCzestochowa, Poland) had won her first set 7-5 at second singles and senior Sarah Hollis (Greens Farms AcademyFairfield, Conn.) led 1-0 in the first set at fifth singles.
Cristina Nunez and her sister, junior #Melissa Nunez# (Morris Hills/Rockaway, N.J.) were 8-3 winners at first doubles to raise their record together to 6-0. Cohen and Kubik teamed for a second-doubles win and the third doubles team of Hollis and Reiman stayed unbeaten on the season, improving to 11-0 with an 8-2 victory.
Tennis Match Results
Stevens vs Ithaca
10/25/09 at Mendon, N.Y.
Ithaca 5, Stevens 0
Singles competition
1. Cristina Nunez (IC) def. Allyson Kingman (SIT) 6-1, 6-1
2. Agata Kubik (IC) vs. Nicole Porter (SIT) 7-5, unfinished
3. Devra Reiman (IC) vs. Mine Bese (SIT) 6-3, 1-0, unfinished
4. Melanie Cohen (IC) def. Brooke Catanzano (SIT) 6-0, 6-0
5. Sarah Hollis (IC) vs. Kendra Appleheimer (SIT) 1-0, unfinished
6. Melissa Nunez (IC) vs. Alexandra Handel (SIT)
Doubles competition
1. Cristina Nunez/Melissa Nunez (IC) def. Allyson Kingman/Nicole Porter (SIT) 8-3
2. Agata Kubik/Melanie Cohen (IC) def. Brooke Catanzano/Morgan Scalzi (SIT) 9-8 (11-9)
3. Sarah Hollis/Devra Reiman (IC) def. Kendra Appleheimer/Alexandra Handel (SIT) 8-2
Match Notes:
Stevens 11-3
Ithaca 10-0
Empire 8 Conference Championship
Ithaca gains automatic bid to NCAA Tournament
