Women's Tennis 4/9/2017 9:00:00 PM

Jays beat Juniata in rematch of 2016 championship clash

Results

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Elizabethtown and Juniata met for the first time, Sunday, since engaging in a classic for the 2016 Landmark Conference championship last May. The two-time defending league champion Blue Jays won the rematch in much less dramatic fashion, 7-2.

Last season's championship matchup came down to the final match at No. 2 singles, but Elizabethtown took command early on, Sunday.

Amber Burd and Laura Gribble whitewashed Kelley Appow and Devin Ryman, 8-0, at third doubles, setting the Blue Jays (6-4, 3-1 Landmark) on the way to a doubles sweep --their third in the last four matches.

Freshman Lenea Riehl and sophomore Meghan Chemidlin bounced back from a loss at No. 2 to Susquehanna a day earlier by holding off Lauren Lucas and Savannah Bailey, 8-6.

It took a bit of extra work, but in the end, Taylor Helsel and Madison McCall kept their unbeaten record together intact with a 9-7 victory at No. 1 over the Eagles' (2-4, 0-3) Rachel Yurchisin and Vienna Cordier.

Cordier erased Juniata's goose egg with a 6-1, 6-4 win at third singles, but the next three matches all went to the visiting Blue Jays, putting the outcome of Sunday's match to rest.

McCall defeated Yurchisin 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2. With a two-win afternoon, the Bath, Pennsylvania, native moved into a tie for 10th in program history with her 105th career combined victory. McCall's 52 singles wins are one shy of Madison Pipkin's 53 for seventh most by a Blue Jay all-time.

Burd won all but three games in a 6-2, 6-1 straight set victory over Appow at No. 5 and Chemidlin continued to roll, downing Bailey 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 for her 10th consecutive singles win.

Gribble was also a winner for the Jays in singles, dominating Ryman 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.

Helsel went toe-to-toe with reigning Landmark Player and Rookie of the Year Lauren Lucas at No. 1. E-town's senior won the first set 7-6 (5), but dropped the second 6-4. Lucas elevated her game to claim the deciding third set, 6-0, and the match.

Elizabethtown returns to the Alumni Courts on Wednesday, April 19, at 4 p.m., to face another Landmark foe in Moravian.

Elizabethtown 7, Juniata 2
April 9, 2017 at Huntingdon, Pa. (Raffensberger-Brumbaugh Courts)

Singles competition

1. Lauren Lucas (JUN) def. Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-0

2. Madison McCall (ETOWN) def. Rachel Yurchisin (JUN) 6-4, 6-1

3. Vienna Cordier (JUN) def. Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) 6-1, 6-4

4. Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) def. Savannah Bailey (JUN) 6-1, 6-1

5. Amber Burd (ETOWN) def. Kelley Appow (JUN) 6-2, 6-1

6. Laura Gribble (ETOWN) def. Devin Ryman (JUN) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition

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

2. Lenea Riehl/Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) def. Lauren Lucas/Savannah Bailey (JUN) 8-6

3. Amber Burd/Laura Gribble (ETOWN) def. Kelley Appow/Devin Ryman (JUN) 8-0

Match Notes

Elizabethtown 6-4, 3-1 Landmark

Juniata 2-4, 0-3 Landmark

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

Landmark Conference match

T-4:45 A-40

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Players Mentioned

Amber Burd: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Meghan Chemidlin: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Laura Gribble: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Taylor Helsel: 5' 4"; Senior

Madison McCall: 5' 2"; Senior

Lenea Riehl: 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Amber Burd
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Meghan Chemidlin
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Laura Gribble
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Taylor Helsel
: 5' 4"; Senior

Madison McCall
: 5' 2"; Senior

Lenea Riehl
: 5' 5"; Freshman