Swarthmore Clinches Playoff Spot on Senior Day
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- The Garnet women's tennis team clinched its third consecutive Centennial Conference playoff berth, defeating Haverford 9-0 at Faulkner Courts on Senior Day at sun-splashed Faulkner Courts.
Swarthmore improves to 10-1 overall and 8-2 in the Centennial, maintaining its hold on second place in the Conference regular season standings its fourth straight win of the season. The Fords slip to 7-7 overall and 5-4 in the Conference.
Prior to Wednesday’s match, the Swarthmore women celebrated a pair of their own—Erica Lukoski (Shoreham, N.Y. / Shoreham-Wading River) and Jamie Midyette (Chesapeake, Va. / Western Branch). The two women have seen much success as a member of the Garnet women’s tennis program, posting a record of 51-20 overall and 37-2 in Centennial regular season play, winning two Centennial Conference Championships (2005 and 2006) and making the NCAA Tournament in three seasons.
On Wednesday afternoon, Lukoski and Midyette led a sweep of the doubles’ competition. Lukoski combined with freshman Alexis Hickman (Vienna, Va. / George C. Marshall) to win 8-3 at No. 2 doubles, the 39th doubles victory for Lukoski. Midyette paired with another freshman, Kathryn Stockbower (Ft. Washington, Pa. / Upper Dublin), to claim the No. 3 doubles match 8-6. Swarthmore’s No. 1 doubles’ pair of Jennie Park ’09 (Rockford, Ill. / Guilford) and Rachel Wallwork ’10 (Washington, D.C. / Georgetown Day) cruised to an 8-3 victory to give the Garnet a 3-0 lead headed to singles’ play.
The Garnet continued to roll in the singles’ matches, dropping just one set in the process. Wallwork moved to a perfect 6-0 in Centennial action with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No.1 while Park followed suit at No. 2 with a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Swarthmore sophomore Kearney Bangs (Kingston, Wash. / North Kitsap) moved to 4-0 this spring with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 victory at the No. 6 spot.
Midyette collected her 30th career singles’ victory at the No. 3 position as her Haverford opponent was forced to retire with an ankle injury in the second set and Midyette ahead 7-5, 4-0. Lukoski breezed past her Fords’ opponent at No. 4 with identical 6-2 scores while Hickman fought through a third-set tiebreaker at No. 5 to win her third straight match by a score of 6-4, 6-7 (4), 10-6.
The Garnet have one Conference match remaining, heading west to Lancaster, Pa. for a 2:00 p.m. match at Franklin & Marshall this Saturday, April 19. Swarthmore concludes the 2008 regular season with a non-conference match at the College of New Jersey on Tues., April 22 before heading to Baltimore for the Centennial Championships, hosted by defending champions Johns Hopkins.