Amherst, MA…The College of New Jersey women's tennis team got the 2013 NCAA Division III Tournament off to a fast start as the Lions secured all three points in doubles play to carry them to a 5-3 win over SUNY Geneseo in the opening round on Friday in Amherst, MA.
 
In a rare scheduling quirk, these teams finished the regular season against each in Ewing last month, but met up again in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions won that season finale by the score of 6-3 and were responsible for two of Geneseo's four losses on the season.
 
The win elevated TCNJ to 15-3 on the season and its tournament march continues tomorrow, May 11 when they face Skidmore College, who received an opening-round bye.
 
Giving the Lions an early edge, freshmen Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette (Union, NJ/Union) and Emma Allen (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) earned an 8-2 decision at second doubles over Amanda Rosati  and Sarah Shields . Sophomore Alex Bologno (Pt. Pleasant, NJ/Pt. Pleasant Beach) and junior Tara Criscuolo (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) kept TCNJ rolling with an 8-5 triumph over Dexuan Yuan  and Zakiyyah Abdus-Salaam in the third spot, before the senior duo of Karisse Bendijo (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) and Allison Tierney (Berkeley Heights, NJ/Gov. Livingston completed the sweep by taking out Katie Talbot  and Marylen Santos at No. 1, 8-5.
 
Abdus-Salaam got the Knights on the board with a 6-1, 6-2 sixth singles, before Shields defeated won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 5 to make it 3-2. Bendijo inched the Lions closed with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Santos at the top of the lineup, but Rosati brought the Knights right back with a 6-1, 7-5 win at fourth singles. That win by Bendijo was her 20th of the season in singles play.
 
Staving off the would-be Geneseo comeback, Tierney downed Yuan, 6-4, 6-4 at second singles to clinch the TCNJ victory. Talbot held a 7-6 (10-8), 4-1 lead over Muniz-Cadorette in the third slot at time of completion.