Women’s Tennis Reaches Landmark Conference Final With 5-3 Victory In Semifinal Over Drew
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Megan Azzalina |
Nicole Mahaffey |
Stephanie Boccuzzi |
MADISON, N.J. – The University of Scranton women’s tennis team earned a little payback for a regular season loss by knocking off Drew University, 5-3, in a Landmark Conference semifinal on Tuesday. The victory puts the Royals into Saturday’s final at top-seeded Susquehanna at a time to be determined.
Freshmen Megan Azzalina (Easton, Pa./Notre Dame) and Nicole Mahaffey (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) each had a pair of wins for the Royals (8-5), who avenged a 5-4 loss at Drew (8-5) on March 24.
Azzalina rallied at No. 5 singles after dropping the first set for a 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 win over Drew freshman Deanna Williams (Fairfield, Calif./Gorin Tennis Academy). Mahaffey’s road to a win at No. 6 singles was a bit smoother as she posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rangers senior Christine Conde.
Scranton’s freshman duo also paired for a win at No. 3 doubles, 8-3, over Drew’s Conde and senior Sarit Ashkenazi (Haifa, Israel/Immaculate Conception).
The Royals also got a key win at No. 1 singles from sophomore Stephanie Boccuzzi (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East). She rallied from a one-set deficit for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Drew junior Chelsea Lipp (Old Lynne, Conn./Old Lynne).
The No. 2 doubles team of seniors Elisha Connell (Orangeburg, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) and Caitlin Ehly (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) earned the Royals’ other win, an 8-6 victory over Drew’s Williams and Lipp.
The win puts Scranton in the Landmark Conference championship match for the second straight season and third time in five years. The Royals lost to Moravian in the championship in 2008 and 2011.
Saturday’s conference championship will take place at a time to be determined at Susquehanna in Selinsgrove, Pa. The Royals traveled to Susquehanna on April 14 for the regular season matchup with the Crusaders and came away with a 6-3 win.
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