ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Ithaca College women's tennis team advanced into the Empire 8 championship thanks to a 9-0 win over Hartwick College Saturday at the Mendon Racquet Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Ithaca (10-0), the tournament's top seed and the 10-time defending Empire 8 champions, advance into Sunday morning's 10 a.m. championship match against No. 3 Stevens, a 5-4 winner over No. 2 Nazareth.

The winner earns the conference's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III tournament. The Bombers swept Stevens 9-0 Sept. 19, 2015 during the regular season.

The Bombers continued their red-hot start to the season by sweeping Hartwick for the second time. Ithaca has now claimed 89 of a possible 90 matches this fall.

Junior Haley Kusak improved to 9-0 in first singles action with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the semifinals. Freshman McKinleigh Lair earned a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, while classmate Caroline Dunn earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at third singles.

Senior Marni Blumenthal improved to 7-0 in singles play with an 8-2 triumph at the fourth flight, while freshman Shayna Ginster improved to 9-0 in singles play thanks to an 8-0 win at fifth singles.

Junior Jodi Grosberg ran her record to 9-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 win at sixth singles as Ithaca once again earned a sweep of the singles matches.

In doubles action, Kusak and Lair won 8-1 in the first flight, Dunn and Ginster won 8-1 at second doubles, and Blumenthal and Greenspan prevailed 8-1 in third doubles.

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Singles competition
1. Haley Kusak (ITHACA) def. Heidi Rice (HARTWICK) 6-1, 6-1
2. McKinleigh Lair (ITHACA) def. Rose Natoli (HARTWICK) 6-0, 6-0
3. Caroline Dunn (ITHACA) def. Kelly Napolitano (HARTWICK) 6-0, 6-2
4. Marni Blumenthal (ITHACA) def. Anna Van Allsburg (HARTWICK) 8-2
5. Shayna Ginster (ITHACA) def. Caitlin O'Brien (HARTWICK) 8-0
6. Jodi Grosberg (ITHACA) def. Kelli Ryan (HARTWICK) 6-3, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Haley Kusak/McKinleigh Lair (ITHACA) def. Rose Natoli/Heidi Rice (HARTWICK) 8-1
2. Caroline Dunn/Shayna Ginster (ITHACA) def. Kelly Napolitano/Anna Van Allsburg (HARTWICK) 8-1
3. Marni Blumenthal/Sydney Greenspan (ITHACA) def. Jaclyn LaSita/Caitlin O'Brien (HARTWICK) 8-1

Match Notes
Hartwick 8-5, Ithaca 10-0
Empire 8 Conference semifinals
Ithaca advances to play Stevens in E8 finals Sunday at 10 a.m.