On April 12, the Ithaca College women’s tennis team faced the William Smith College Herons in a match that went until the last minute. Both teams went back and forth, but the Bombers ultimately came out on top, securing a 5–4 victory.
To start the day, first-year student Sabrina Cheung and sophomore Eliana Chelnick took an 8–1 win at the No. 3 spot for the Bombers. Shortly after, the Herons fired back when sophomore Isabelle Goings-Perrot and first-year student Haley Levine took a win over seniors Rebecca Andrews and Zoe Davis in the No. 1 spot to make it an even score between the two teams.
In order to regain momentum, the South Hill squad’s sophomore Taylor Crain and senior Caroline Herz secured a win at the No. 2 spot. Herz said the team’s support and cheering throughout the match helped her in the win.
“[The contributing factor] was that our energy was super high and lots of screaming and cheering,” Herz said. “Just being there for each other through wins and mistakes.”
Heading into the singles matches with a 2–1 lead, sophomore Kayla Shenk was able to grab the win for the Bombers at the No. 5 spot. She won her first set 6–1 and her second set 6–4 over the Herons’ sophomore Julia Pida, giving the South Hill squad a 3–1 lead.
In the No. 1 singles spot, Crain was able to secure a win over Levine to give the Bombers a calm and collected 4–1 edge over the Herons. Despite this, the Herons answered back with three straight wins.
In the No. 2 spot, Andrews was not able to grab a win, losing both of her sets to Goings-Perrot. Shortly after, Davis was able to win her first set 6–4 but ultimately fell short, losing her final two in the No. 3 spot.
At the No. 6 spot, Herz won her first set 6–1, but, despite her best efforts, she lost the last two sets. She fell short in the second set with a score of 6–7 and 3–6 in the third set, which resulted in her overall loss.
In a tense and closely fought match with the score tied at 4–4, the outcome of the game hung in the balance at the No. 4 spot. After losing the first set 3–6, Cheung was able to secure a significant 6–4 victory in the second set and a 7–6 victory in the third set. The match was a nail-biting affair that went down to the wire, with both teams giving it their all. This delivered a resounding win for the Bombers.
With a hard-earned win, the Bombers have improved their season record to 8–6, including a solid 3–2 performance in the Liberty League. Looking to increase its three–game win streak, the team is preparing to host Vassar College in an exciting match scheduled for 10 a.m. April 16.
