Women’s Tennis Defeated In NEAC West Championship Match

CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. – For the second-straight season, the Wells College women's tennis team was ousted from the North Eastern Athletic Conference West Division Championship Tournament by the Nittany Lions of Penn St.-Berks, this year via a 5-2 margin Saturday afternoon at the Birchwood Tennis Club. The Express conclude their season with an 8-10 record overall after posting a mark of 5-2 against league opponents during the regular season.

Penn St.-Berks (12-3, 7-0 NEAC) advances to the conference championship against their counterpart from the North Atlantic Conference to determine which of the two conferences receives the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III women's tennis championships. Berks has eliminated the Express in the championship match in 2007-08 as well as 2011-12.

To reach the championship flight of the tournament, however, the Express were able to dispatch the Nittany Lions of Penn St.-Abington by a score of 5-3 in the first match of the day. Wells used doubles victories from their No. 2 and No. 3 tandems to gain momentum. Junior Brittany Vanno (Whitesboro, N.Y.) and freshman Taryn Heath (Homer, N.Y.) were able to stifle their opponents, Olga Popoli and Carly Powell, by a score of 8-6 while the tandem of senior Kelly Pietruch (Whitesboro, N.Y.) and freshman Brooke Benedetto (Williamstown, N.Y.) set down their opponents, Lori Phillips and Evgenia Nigay, by the same score.

At No. 1 singles, senior Caitlyn Copfer (Clinton, N.Y.) was able to edge the Nittany Lions' Jenny Abraham 6-1, 2-6, 6-1. Ayumi Takeuchi (Eniwa, Hokkaido, Japan), Pietruch and Heath were able to push past their singles opponents to lock up the victory for Wells. Freshman Kevisha Hunt (Germantown, N.Y.) was facing-off against Carly Powell, but their match was suspended once Wells reached the five necessary victories to advance.

Against Penn St.-Berks, the Express trailed 2-1 exiting doubles play as Vanno and Heath were able to set down Sam Warga and Allison Monkman by an 8-6 margin. Copfer and Takeuchi, at No. 1 doubles, were able to battle reigning NEAC West Division Player of the Year Crystal Hitz and her partner Elizabeth Kehm before dropping a 9-7 decision. Pietruch and Benedetto battled Kristina Hatter and Taylor Keselica to an 8-6 loss at No. 3 doubles. In singles play, however, Penn St.-Berks collected victories at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 singles to clinch the NEAC West Division title. Via 6-4, 6-2 scores, Takeuchi was able to remain undefeated (9-0) at No. 3 singles play on the year to become the first player with more than five matches played to be undefeated on the year.

The individual portion of the NEAC West Division Tournament begins this Sunday, Apr. 28 as the results will yield the league's All-Conference teams. In 2012, the Express saw Kate Ellis, Copfer and Marie Shimazaki earn First Team All-Conference at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 singles placement, respectively. Ellis and Chika Taguchi collected top honors at No. 1 doubles while Pietruch and Shimazaki placed at No. 3 doubles.

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