Kaitlyn O'Connor vs. FDU-Florham 3/17/18
4
FDU-Florham FDUF (3-2)
5
Winner Elizabethtown ETOWN (3-3)
FDU-Florham FDUF
(3-2)
4
Final
5
Elizabethtown ETOWN
(3-3)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

O'Connor, Blue Jays down FDU-Florham in thriller

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- FDU-Florham had match point at sixth singles in the third set, but junior Kaitlyn O'Connor staved off defeat and resurrected Elizabethtown to a 5-4 victory over the Devils on Saturday afternoon at the Alumni Courts.

O'Connor trailed 5-2 in the third set after splitting the first two with Amelia Vetto 6-3 and 2-6. With the teams playing by a new Landmark Conference rule that eliminates advantage to increase pace of play, O'Connor faced match with deuce (40-40) down 5-4 in the deciding set. The Warminster, Pa., native won the crucial point and carried on to win the next two games --five straight in all-- for a 7-5 set victory and the overall win for E-town.

The Blue Jays wouldn't have been able to snap their three-match slide with O'Connor's heroics if not for another big time rally in doubles.

E-town's (3-3) top pair of Lenea Riehl and Meghan Chemidlin fell behind 6-2 to the Devils' Nicole DelRosso and Christine Kenny, before ripping off six consecutive games for an 8-6 win.

FDU-Florham (3-2) won the remaining two doubles matches, however, taking a 2-1 lead to singles after its No. 2 team of Serina Grande and Kira Bradley prevailed in a tiebreaker 9-8 (5).

Riehl, Chemidlin and Amber Burd pushed the Jays in front with straight set wins at first, second and third singles.

Riehl handed previously unbeaten DelRosso (7-1) her first loss of the season 6-4, 6-2, and Chemidlin, the program's active career wins, earned career combined win No. 68 6-4, 6-1 over Christine Kenny. Burd topped Allyson Wolf by matching 6-4 scores.

FDU got hard-fought singles wins from No. 4 Grande and No. 5 Bradley to even the score at four and put the outcome in the hands of O'Connor and Vetto.

Elizabethtown opens Landmark play next Saturday with a noon match at Moravian.
 
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