Garnet Storm Into Championship Round
BALTIMORE -- The 17th-ranked Swarthmore women's tennis team, the two-time defending Centennial Conference champions, moved one step close to a third straight title with a 5-0 victory over third-seed Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon in semifinal action of the 2007 Centennial Conference Tennis Championships hosted by Johns Hopkins.
The Garnet (12-5 overall), seeded No. 2, will face the top-seeded Blue Jays in the championship match Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
Swarthmore, 6-3 winners over the Diplomats on April 21, cruised to a 3-0 lead after doubles competition. Seniors Sonya Reynolds and Sara Sargent took down F&M's Barbara Bee and Katie Gaskins 8-1 at No. 1 doubles while Marissa Matthews '07 and Erica Lukoski '08 sailed past Jenna Ishakinan and Christina Henkel 8-1 at No. 2 for their seventh straight win of the season. Rachel Wallwork '10 and Waverly Lutz '07 improved to 12-5 overall, completing the sweep with a 8-2 win at No. 3 over Danielle Barish and Dana Russo.
Wallwork and Matthews ensured the win for Swarthmore with quick victories at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Wallwork improved to 14-5 overall with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Bee and Matthews took down Erica Wood 6-1, 6-0 to put the Garnet in the championship match.
Swarthmore has won three of the last four Centennial Championships and five overall (most in Conference history)—the titles came in 1995, 2001, '03, '05 and '06.