Women's Tennis 4/15/2016 8:45:00 PM

Blue Jays fend off Juniata

Results

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Faced with adversity in a Landmark Conference match for the first time this season, defending conference champion Elizabethtown pulled through. The Blue Jays got late wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles to withstand Juniata, 5-4, Friday afternoon at the Alumni Courts.

Meghan Chemidlin, Taylor Helsel and Sam Procak all stayed hot in singles, each winning her fifth consecutive match.

Helsel joined Chemidlin as Blue Jays to reach double figures in singles victories, scoring a 7-5, 6-2 win over Rachel Yurchisin at No. 2 for her 10th this season and 30th of her career.

Elizabethtown (8-3, 4-0 Landmark) led 2-1 at the conclusion of doubles, but needed to win two of the final three singles matches to keep its unblemished conference mark alive.

No. 4 Procak and No. 5 Chemidlin made that happen by extending their winning streaks.

Procak blanked Katherine Conklin in the opening set and emerged a 6-0, 6-4 victor, while Chemidlin got by the Eagles' (8-6, 3-1 Landmark) Mitsuki Koh 6-4, 6-3.

The Blue Jays' top two doubles teams also remained on a tear. Madison McCall and Helsel won their team-leading ninth match together, 9-7, over Yuchisin and Conklin at first doubles. McCall and Helsel are 9-2 on the season.

Lauren Berry and Procak prevailed in a tiebreaker, 9-7 (5), against Tori Gray and Koh to move to 6-1 on the year. Both E-town pairings have won five straight since the Jays were shut out by regionally-ranked Randolph-Macon back on March 30.

Juniata earned its points at No. 3 doubles along with Nos. 1, 3 and 6 singles. The Eagles were Landmark Conference semifinalists a year ago.

Elizabethtown will face the team it ousted in the Landmark semifinals last season, Catholic, on the Alumni Courts Saturday at 1 p.m.

Elizabethtown 5, Juniata 4
April 15, 2016 at Elizabethtown, Pa. (Alumni Courts)

Singles competition

1. Lauren Lucas (JUN) def. Madison McCall (ETOWN) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)

2. Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) def. Rachel Yurchisin (JUN) 7-5, 6-2

3. Nora Tsai (JUN) def. Lauren Berry (ETOWN) 6-2, 6-2

4. Sam Procak (ETOWN) def. Katharine Conklin (JUN) 6-0, 6-4

5. Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) def. Mitsuki Koh (JUN) 6-4, 6-3

6. Tori Gray (JUN) def. Laura Gribble (ETOWN) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Madison McCall/Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) def. Rachel Yurchisin/Katharine Conklin (JUN) 9-7

2. Lauren Berry/Sam Procak (ETOWN) def. Tori Gray/Mitsuki Koh (JUN) 9-8 (7-5)

3. Lauren Lucas/Nora Tsai (JUN) def. Meghan Chemidlin/Laura Gribble (ETOWN) 8-0

Match Notes

Juniata 8-6, 3-1 Landmark

Elizabethtown 8-3, 4-0 Landmark

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)

Landmark Conference match

T-5:00 A-25

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Players Mentioned

Lauren Berry: 5' 1"; Senior

Taylor Helsel: 5' 4"; Junior

Madison McCall: 5' 2"; Junior

Sam Procak: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Meghan Chemidlin: 5' 3"; Freshman

Laura Gribble: 5' 3"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lauren Berry
: 5' 1"; Senior

Taylor Helsel
: 5' 4"; Junior

Madison McCall
: 5' 2"; Junior

Sam Procak
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Meghan Chemidlin
: 5' 3"; Freshman

Laura Gribble
: 5' 3"; Freshman