West Point, N.Y. - The Ithaca women's tennis team (9-1) won its seventh straight Empire 8 Championship with a 5-4 victory over Stevens (10-1) Sunday at the Malek Tennis Courts on the campus of the United States Military Academy. Ithaca has earned automatic qualification into the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships in May.

The deciding match came at third singles where sophomore Becky Guzzo (C.W. Baker/Baldwinsville) won in three sets. Guzzo won the first set 6-2 and dropped the second 4-6. In the third set, Guzzo broke serve of the Stevens player three times in a 6-2 win. She was a part of three team points during the semifinal and championship matches and was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Ithaca built a 2-1 lead through the doubles matches. The third doubles team of freshman Allison Vizgaitis (Fayetteville-Manlius/Fayetteville) and junior Laurel Salladay (Pinkerton Academy/Hampstead, N.H.) won 8-5 to get Ithaca on the board, and junior Allison Young (Prout School/Newport, R.I.) and Guzzo were 8-6 winners at first doubles to give the Bombers the lead.

The Bombers added singles victories by senior Kelsey Harness (Allegan/Allegan, Mich.) at sixth singles and freshman Carly Siegel (Half Hollow Hills West/Dix Hills) to set up the decisive victory by Guzzo.

Ithaca vs Stevens
10/23/11 at West Point, N.Y.
(Malek Courts / USMA)

Ithaca 5, Stevens 4

Singles competition
1. Jessica Bourque (SIT) def. Allison YOUNG (IC) 6-0, 6-2
2. Carly SIEGEL (IC) def. Nicole Portner (SIT) 6-2, 6-2
3. Becky GUZZO (IC) def. Danielle Stewart (SIT) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
4. Mine Bese (SIT) def. Laurel SALLADAY (IC) 6-1, 6-1
5. Lisa Tessitore (SIT) def. Allison VIZGAITIS (IC) 6-4, 6-2
6. Kelsey HARNESS (IC) def. Alexandra Handel (SIT) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Becky GUZZO/Allison YOUNG (IC) def. Jessica Bourque/Lisa Tessitore (SIT) 8-6
2. Mine Bese/Nicole Portner (SIT) def. Becky CAMPBELL/Carly SIEGEL (IC) 8-3
3. Laurel SALLADAY/Allison VIZGAITIS (IC) def. Morgan Scalzi/Danielle Stewart (SIT) 8-5

Team Records:
Ithaca 9-1
Stevens 10-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,1,2,6,5,3)

Empire 8 Championship Match
Ithaca Earns Automatic Qualification to NCAA Tournament
MVP: Becky Guzzo, Ithaca