Springfield, MA– The Sage Colleges' women's tennis team travelled to Western New England University on Monday afternoon and racked up the team's fifth straight win on the season. The Gators beat the Golden Bears 6-3 and are 5-0 on the year. WNEU drops to 0-2.
At No. 1 singles, Sage's sophomore Kirsten Ackerman (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) easily beat senior Linda Mustafa (Chicopee, MA/Springfield Cathedral), 6-0, 6-0. Ackerman is a perfect 5-0 on the season at first singles. She is riding a 9-match win streak after finishing her freshman season riding a 4-0 win streak, while at Marist. Ackerman earned her second straight Skyline Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week selection and has yet to lose a single game in her five singles' matches this fall.
Sage's senior captain Mackenzie Riley (Albany, NY/Albany) picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles as she beat freshman Juliette Cormier (Leominster, MA/Leominster). Riley has now won 12 straight singles matches dating back to the fall of 2010 and sports a 15-1 career singles record at Sage.
Riley and senior Isabella Perricone (Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) combined for an 8-3 win at first doubles, besting Mustafa and junior Kelsey Grode (Fairview, PA/Fairview). At No. 3 singles, Pericone beat senior Alysha Lauricella (Hudson, NH/Trinity), 6-0, 6-1 and stands at 5-0 in singles this fall.
At second doubles, Ackerman and junior Mary Kate Hayward (Queensbury, NY/Glens Falls) posted an 8-3 win as they beat sophomore Valerie Comway (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) and Lauricella.
Sage returns to action on Wednesday, September 12 hosting Bard College in a non-conference match at Prospect Park at 4:30 p.m.
Singles
#1: Kirsten Ackerman def. Linda Mustafa 6-0, 6-0
#2: Mackenzie Riley def. Val Conway 6-2, 6-1
#3: Isabella Pericone def. Alysha Lesieur 6-0, 6-1
#4: Mary Kate Hayward def. Kaelsey Grode 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)
#5: Lindsay Brudvig def. Lauren Bendall 6-1, 7-5
#6: Gill Adams def. Dana Fowler 6-1, 6-4
Doubles:
#1: Riley/Pericone def .Mustafa/Grode 8-3
#2: Ackerman/Hayward def. Lesieur/Conway 8-3
#3: Byrnes/Cormier def. Bendall/Julia Race, 8-0
