Women's Tennis 5/12/2017 3:20:00 PM

No. 20 Skidmore ends Blue Jays' season in NCAA First Round

Results

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Elizabethtown's eighth straight NCAA Division III Women's Championship appearance came to a close with a 5-0 First Round loss to 20th-ranked Skidmore Friday afternoon on Middlebury College's Proctor Tennis Courts.

The nationally-recognized Thoroughbreds (13-7), winners of the Liberty League, quickly took control of the match in doubles, winning all three flights by matching 8-1 scores.

Elizabethtown (13-5), representing the Landmark Conference after capturing its third consecutive league title last Saturday over Scranton, had some success in singles. Senior Madison McCall, who finished her career with 116 combined victories (singles/doubles) --third most in school history-- won a pair of games in her first set match against Madie Benn and was up 2-1 at one point, though their match went unfinished with Benn having claimed the first set.

Sophomore Meghan Chemidlin grabbed a pair of games off Michelle Fuca in the second set at third singles, though that match also went unfinished when Skidmore clinched its spot in Saturday's Second Round. Classmate Laura Gribble also won a pair of games at sixth singles, falling to Brianna Greene 6-0, 6-2.

Needing just two points to conclude the match after its doubles sweep, Skidmore opened singles with a 6-0, 6-0 victory from Danielle Giannetti at No. 4. Greene's win at No. 6 sent the Thoroughbreds into the next round and a date with Amherst, the nation's seventh ranked team. Skidmore has reached the Second Round of the NCAA Championship tournament 11 straight seasons dating back to 2007.

Seniors Taylor Helsel, Brooke Hillriegel and McCall finished their careers, having helped the Blue Jays to 57 victories, a MAC Commonwealth Conference championship (2013-14), three Landmark Conference championships (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17) and four NCAA Championship appearances.

Helsel, an All-Landmark First Team selection in singles and doubles the last two seasons, registered 97 career combined victories (42 singles, 55 doubles). McCall, named All-Landmark First Team Doubles in each of the last two seasons and Second Team Singles the previous three, ranks tied for fourth on the program's career singles wins list (57) and sixth on the career doubles wins list (59).

#20 Skidmore 5, Elizabethtown 0
May 12, 2017 at Middlebury, Vt. (Proctor Tennis Courts)

Singles competition

1. Ada Wiggins (SKID) vs. Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) 6-0, 4-0, unfinished

2. Madie Benn (SKID) vs. Madison McCall (ETOWN) 6-2, 3-0, unfinished

3. Michelle Fuca (SKID) vs. Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) 6-0, 3-2, unfinished

4. Danielle Giannetti (SKID) def. Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) 6-0, 6-0

5. Renee Karchere-Sun (SKID) vs. Amber Burd (ETOWN) 6-0, 5-0, unfinished

6. Brianna Greene (SKID) def. Laura Gribble (ETOWN) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Madie Benn/Michelle Fuca (SKID) def. Taylor Helsel/Madison McCall (ETOWN) 8-1

2. Ada Wiggins/Brianna Greene (SKID) def. Meghan Chemidlin/Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) 8-1

3. Alexa Goldberg/Jessica Ampel (SKID) def. Amber Burd/Laura Gribble (ETOWN) 8-1

Match Notes

Elizabethtown 13-5

Skidmore 13-7; National ranking #20; Regional ranking #8

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

NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship First Round

Skidmore ranked 8th in Oracle/ITA Northeast Region; 20th in DIII National Poll

Skidmore advances to Second Round vs. No. 7 Amherst on Saturday

T-2:15 A-67

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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

Brooke Hillriegel: 5' 6"; 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

Brooke Hillriegel
: 5' 6"; Senior

Madison McCall
: 5' 2"; Senior

Lenea Riehl
: 5' 5"; Freshman