PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - For the first time in its three years as a program, the Wilmington University women's tennis team clinched a share of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Championship with a 6-1 victory over Chestnut Hill on Sunday in the regular season finale.
With the win, and due to owning the tiebreakers over Concordia and Goldey-Beacom, the Wildcats (7-4, 7-1 CACC) will be the CACC Tournament's number one seed, earning a bye in the first round and will appear again in the CACC Tournament Semifinals.
If all three teams finish the regular season at 7-1, the Wildcats' own the sets won against sets lost tiebreaker over both Concordia and Goldey-Beacom. The Lightning were still playing USciences at the time of posting. The Wildcats defeated Concordia head-to-head, holding the tiebreaker over the Clippers if it finishes in a two-way tie.
On Sunday, the Wildcats got off to a great start by winning all three doubles matches over the Griffins to earn the single point. Begona Gomar and Anushka Sathe finished their match at No. 2 double first, 6-1, before Tess Paya and Marie Rondot gave the Wildcats the point with another 6-1 victory at No. 3 doubles. Laura Gil and Andrea Ribalta gave the clean sweep at No. 1 doubles, 6-4.
Tess Paya kept he momentum in favor of the Wildcats at No. 5 singles with a clean win, 6-0 and 6-0. Sabrina Blasi-Smith gave the Wildcats their third point of the match with a 6-0 and 6-1 victory at No. 6 singles before Laura Gil gave the Wildcats the match win with a 6-1 and 6-1 victory at No. 4.
The important number for the Wildcats was five points, as that is what they needed to secure the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament. Freshman Marie Rondot gave the Wildcats what they were looking for with a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles to seal the deal.
Chestnut Hill got their lone point at No. 1 singles but Anushka Sathe ended the day on a high note for the Wildcats at No. 2 singles, coming back to win the second set, 6-2, and then the third set tiebreaker, 10-6, to finish the match, 6-1.
The CACC Tournament Semifinals and Championship will again be hosted by Post University in Waterbury, Conn. The semifinal round is scheduled for Saturday, October 20.