St. Mary's City, Md. – Twelve days ago, the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's tennis team locked up the fourth seed in the 2016 Capital Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship Tournament with a 5-4 victory over York College of Pennsylvania. Today, No. 5 seed York exacted its revenge with a 5-4 triumph Saturday afternoon in the first round of the CAC Tournament.
The outcome of today's matchup came down to No. 1 singles with the match tied at 4-4. Sophomore Katie Wagner (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) captured the first set, 6-4, and then staked a 4-1 lead in the second set. Sophomore Melissa Barall (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) battled back and forced a tie-break game. Barall continued fighting in the tie-break game but K. Wagner came out on top, 7-6 (7-5).
The win sends York (9-4) to the CAC semifinals at top-seeded University of Mary Washington on Tuesday, April 19. St. Mary's saw its 2015-16 season come to an end with an 8-9 (4-3 CAC) overall record under first-year head coach Tyler Robinson.
York won No. 2 doubles for a 1-0 lead before seniors Mollie Johnson (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) and Anna Passaniti (Hereford, Md./Hereford) evened up the match at 1-1 with an 8-3 win over senior Megan Jones (Felton, Pa./Red Lion) and first-year Jessica Sherman (Walden, N.Y./Valley Central) at No. 3 doubles, finishing the year undefeated at No. 3 doubles with a 3-0 record. The Spartans then headed into singles action with a 2-1 lead following an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles.
YCP went up 3-1 with a win at No. 2 singles before St. Mary's won back-to-back singles matches at No. 6 and No. 5 singles to once again knot the match at 3-3. Senior Liza Moore (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) posted a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Sherman at No. 6 for a 10-7 record on the year while sophomore Katie Chase (Parkton, Md./Hereford) picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win over sophomore Elizabeth Wiley (Manchester, Pa./Northeastern) at No. 5 singles.
York took a one-point lead as junior McKenzie Krout (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) notched a 6-4, 6-2 win over junior Marissa Romanek (Sunderland, Md./Huntingtown) at No. 3 singles. Yet again, the Seahawks were able to answer with a win. Senior captain Emily Rost (Gaithersburg, Md./Northwest) came through with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over junior Darian Naill (New Windsor, Md./South Carroll) at No. 4 singles for the 4-4 draw. Rost ended her senior campaign with a 9-7 record.
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