The women’s tennis team (8-0, 7-0 Empire 8 ) faced their toughest test of the year in Wednesday’s contest versus Rochester Institute of Technology (9-3, 7-1 Empire 8), but prevailed 6-3 in the Empire 8 regular season finale.

The match was moved to the indoor Reis Tennis Center for the final two matches of the day due to impending darkness.

Both teams entered the evening undefeated in Empire 8 play and looking to gain momentum and the top seed overall going into the Empire 8 Championships. With the win, the Bombers extended their Empire 8 dual match-winning streak to 42 consecutive victories.

Recent Empire 8 Player of the Week, Cristina Nunez, rallied from a 5-2 deficit to defeat Amanda Berg 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 in first singles. Nunez and Berg met in the semifinals of last weekend’s New York State Division III Women’s Tennis Championships with Nunez winning in straight sets.

Ithaca won four out of the six singles matches. In second singles, senior Melanie Cohen was topped by Maitevera Antelo 6-2, 6-2. The Bombers won third singles when senior Melissa Nunez defeated Sara Bjork 6-2, 6-1. RIT battled back in fourth singles when Brooke Brindle topped freshman Becky Guzzo. Then, the Blue and Gold won fifth and sixth singles – sophomore Allison Young defeated Marie Revekant 6-4, 6-1 and Kelsey Harness overcame Lindsey Gibson 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-8.

The Bombers also took two out of the three doubles competitions. Junior Becky Campbell and Cohen knocked off Bjork and Revekant, 8-5; and sophomore Laurel Salladay and Young defeated Brooke Brindle and Gibson, 8-3. The sole doubles loss came when Antelo and Berg beat Cristina and Melissa Nunez, 9-7.

The Bombers return to action this weekend at the Empire 8 Championships at Reis Tennis Center. They will face fourth-seeded Nazareth in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. with the finals beginning Sunday at 9 a.m.