EWING, N.J. – Jenny Landells and
Navya Yemula each attained a milestone as the TCNJ women's tennis team booked its spot in the NJAC championship match with a 5-0 victory over visiting Rutgers-Camden in a semifinal tilt on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lions (15-2) overcame the fourth-seeded Scarlet Raptors and some tricky windswept conditions to finish off another dominating performance and set up a title bout with second-seeded New Jersey City on Saturday. The Gothic Knights blanked third-seeded Stockton, 5-0, in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
Aira Abalos and
Anusha Rangu kicked things off with an 8-1 victory at No. 2 doubles, with
Chase Eisenberg and Yemula matching that score line on the third doubles court in quick succession.
The doubles victory gave Yemula an even 50 for her career.
Charlotte Roarty and Landells battled through several long deuce-filled games to score an 8-2 win on the top court, sealing the doubles sweep and giving Landells her 50
th career victory in one swoop.
Needing just two courts to finish off the Scarlet Raptors, TCNJ didn't mess around. Abalos, named NJAC rookie of the year earlier in the day, blanked her No. 2 singles opponent 6-0, 6-0. Moments later, Roarty – who repeated as the league's player of the year – followed suit with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout against Rutgers-Camden's all-conference number one singles player.
Rangu (No. 3) and Landells (No. 5) were each just a few points away from victory, holding 6-0, 5-0 leads when Roarty converted on match point to end it.
Morgan Grimmie was leading 6-1, 3-0 at No. 6 singles and Eisenberg was level at 1-1 in the second set after claiming a 6-2 decision in the first frame from the number four slot.
The Lions now brace for a second meeting with New Jersey City, having defeated the Gothic Knights 8-1 on April 9. A victory would give TCNJ its 39
th consecutive conference crown, the longest known streak in the nation. First serve is set for 12 p.m. at the Tennis Complex.