Box Score (PDF)
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's tennis team notched its first win of the spring on Saturday afternoon when it traveled across town to Cornell's Reis Tennis Center for the opening match of Liberty League play against RIT. The Bombers dispatched the Tigers by a 6-3 final margin to improve their record to 1-1 on the year and 1-0 in Liberty League play. It marked the first time that Ithaca has won a Liberty League opener since joining as an affiliate in 2017-18. Most importantly, IC gains a crucial head-to-head win against a Tigers squad that figures to be in the mix for a possible postseason bid down the road.
Doubles
1. Brianna Ruback/Alexandra Dyszewski (IC) def. Shayna Ginster/Claire Casalnova (RIT) | 8-6
2. Rebecca Andrews/Zoe Davis (IC) def. Kristen Zablonski/Annie Steinbrink (RIT) | 8-6
3. Sara Steinberg/Sarah Sposito (IC) def. Julianne Ho/Kirsten Auble (RIT) | 8-5
Singles
1. Brianna Ruback (IC) def. Shayna Ginster (RIT) | 6-1, 6-2
2. Alexandra Dyszewski (IC) def. Claire Casalnova (RIT) | 6-3, 6-1
3. Kristen Zablonski (RIT) def. Rebecca Andrews (IC) | 6-1, 2-6, 10-3
4. Kirsten Auble (RIT) def. Zoe Davis (IC) | 6-2, 6-2
5. Mia Hofbauer (RIT) def. Sara Steinberg (IC) | 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 10-7
6. Caroline Herz (IC) def. Julia Smolowitz (RIT) | 6-3, 6-4
It was a fast start that gave the Bombers full control of the match, as Ithaca swept the doubles session with three closely-contested victories. Senior
Brianna Ruback and sophomore
Alexandra Dyszewski got the ball rolling for the Bombers with an 8-6 win over Shayna Ginster and Claire Casalnova in the first slot. Junior
Sara Steinberg and first-year
Sarah Sposito also played well together in an 8-5 win against Julianne Ho and Kirsten Auble in the third slot. The session ended with on a high note, as the rookie duo of
Rebecca Andrews and
Zoe Davis held off a furious comeback from RIT's second duo of Kristen Zablonski and Annie Steinbrink to win 8-6. The 3-0 lead put the Bombers in a position needing just two wins to clinch the important victory.
It did not take long for the Bombers to clinch the match when play got underway in singles. Ruback and Dyszewski continued the momentum from big wins last weekend at University of Rochester, each improving to 2-0 on the spring with convincing straight-set wins in the first and second slots. Ruback defeated Ginster 6-1, 6-2, while Dyszewski triumphed 6-3, 6-1 against RIT's Casalnova. First-year
Caroline Herz also picked her first win of the spring with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Julia Smolowitz in the sixth slot.
Ithaca will return to action on Tuesday, March 10, when the Bombers open up their Spring Break schedule in Orlando, Florida, against Immaculata University. Start time for the match is set for 7:00 p.m.
