The women’s tennis team improved its record to 9–0 overall and 8–0 in the Empire 8 Conference with sweeps against Hartwick College and SUNY Cortland on Oct. 4 at the Wheeler Tennis Courts.

In its first contest against the Hartwick Hawks, three freshmen won their singles matches. McKinleigh Lair defeated Hartwick’s Rose Natali 6–1, 6–0; Caroline Dunn beat Kelly Napolitano 6–1, 6–3; and Shayna Ginster defeated Jaclyn LaSita 6–0, 6–0.  

Junior Haley Kusak topped Heidi Rice of Hartwick 6–1, 6–1; junior Jodi Grosberg defeated Sofie Brennan 6–0, 6–0; and senior Marni Blumenthal beat Caitlin O’Brien 6–1, 6–0.

In doubles against Hartwick, the pair of Kusak and Lair defeated Rice and Natali 8–2, while Dunn and Ginster beat Napolitano and LaSita 8–2 and Sydney Greenspan and Blumenthal bested O’Brien and Sam Dow 8–1.

The Blue and Gold did not lose a beat against Cortland later in the day, winning all nine of their matches in their first non-conference match of the season.  

Lair, Blumenthal and Ginster continued their dominance with wins 6–0, 6–1; 6–1, 6–1; and 6–0, 6–0, respectively, against Cortland’s Nikaylah Williams, Cait O’Rourke and Michelle Coffey.

Dunn was able to hold off Katie Fineman of Cortland 6–2, 6–4, while Kusak beat Mia Hayes 7–5, 6–1 and Grosberg topped Daria Bystry 6–1, 7–5.

The Bombers were much more in control for doubles as Kusak and Lair defeated Hayes and Williams 8–1, Dunn and Ginster topped Fineman and O’Rourke 8–3 and Blumenthal and Greenspan beat Coffey and Bystry 8–1.

The team returns to action for the Empire 8 Championships on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 in Rochester, New York.