Women's Tennis 5/7/2017 3:30:00 PM

Women's tennis three-peats as Landmark Champions!

Results

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Elizabethtown came from behind in all three doubles matches for the second time in the Landmark Conference Championship tournament and quickly won a pair of singles matches to claim its third straight Landmark title and eighth consecutive conference championship overall with a 5-0 victory against Scranton Sunday afternoon.

Both teams faced an adjustment period after rain forced the match indoors to Lancaster's Racquet Club West. It marked the first time E-town had a championship match decided indoors since 2010, when it beat Lebanon Valley for the MAC Commonwealth crown.

Elizabethtown (13-4) took command early at second doubles where tournament Most Valuable Player Meghan Chemidlin and freshman Lenea Riehl steadily opened a comfortable lead en route to an 8-3 victory over Nastashia DeNunzio and Emily Kelly.

There was nothing comfortable about the predicaments Elizabethtown found itself in at first and third singles, however.

The Jays' top tandem of Taylor Helsel and Madison McCall were staring at a 5-2 disadvantage against the Royals' (8-9) Emily Machado and Emilia Jakubek. The two seniors found a way to raise their games and confidence, though, and won six of the next seven games to take the point, 8-6.

Amber Burd and Laura Gribble were pushed to a tiebreaker by Elyse Smilnak and Katherine Loughlin at third doubles, but the Blue Jay duo held on to complete the sweep 9-8 (5) and register their seventh win in a row together.

McCall immediately went to work at second singles looking to lock up another Landmark title for the Blue Jays. The Bath, Pennsylvania, native cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Machado to put Elizabethtown on the brink of victory.

Chemidlin clinched the match with a straight set win over Jakubek 6-3, 6-2, putting the Blue Jays into the NCAA Division III Championship tournament for the ninth time and capturing the 11th conference championship in program history.

Chemidlin, a sophomore from Stewartsville, New Jersey, is now 18-2 on the season and went 3-0 in Landmark Championship tournament play as E-town defeated Moravian (semifinals) and Scranton.

With a pair of wins, McCall moved into sole possession of third-place on Elizabethtown's all-time combined wins list with 116 (57 singles, 59 doubles). Helsel, meanwhile, closed within three victories of 100 career combined.

Burd was up a set at fifth singles, while Riehl split the first two sets at fourth singles with Smilnak when Chemidlin's win ended the match.

For Scranton, DeNunzio took the first set at No. 1 singles and Kelly swept the first set at No. 6.

Elizabethtown will find out its NCAA Division III Championship opponent Monday when the field is announced via press release at NCAA.com.

Elizabethtown 5, Scranton 0
May 7, 2017 at Lancaster, Pa. (Racquet Club West)

Singles competition

1. Taylor Helsel (ETOWN) vs. Nastashia DeNunzio (SCR) 4-6, 4-3, unfinished

2. Madison McCall (ETOWN) def. Emily Machado (SCR) 6-1, 6-2

3. Meghan Chemidlin (ETOWN) def. Emilia Jakubek (SCR) 6-3, 6-2

4. Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) vs. Elyse Smilnak (SCR) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0, unfinished

5. Amber Burd (ETOWN) vs. Sakira Fussner (SCR) 6-2, 2-0, unfinished

6. Brooke Hillriegel (ETOWN) vs. Emily Kelly (SCR) 0-6, 0-1, unfinished

Doubles competition

1. Taylor Helsel/Madison McCall (ETOWN) def. Emily Machado/Emilia Jakubek (SCR) 8-6

2. Meghan Chemidlin/Lenea Riehl (ETOWN) def. Nastashia DeNunzio/Emily Kelly (SCR) 8-3

3. Amber Burd/Laura Gribble (ETOWN) def. Elyse Smilnak/Katherine Loughlin (SCR) 9-8 (7-5)

Match Notes

Scranton 8-9

Elizabethtown 13-4

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

Landmark Conference Championship: (2) Elizabethtown vs. (4) Scranton

Match moved indoors to Racquet Club West due to rain

Elizabethtown wins third straight Landmark Championship

Tournament MVP: Meghan Chemidlin, Elizabethtown

Official: Alison Burlingame T-2:31 A-70

Print Friendly Version

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