SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It's a busy weekend for the Skidmore College women's tennis team, as the Thoroughbreds begin dual and Liberty League action with two matches.
Skidmore will face Union on Friday in its annual 'Friday Night Lights' contest, held at the Wenger Tennis Courts at 6 p.m. The Thoroughbreds then complete the weekend with a trip to Bard on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Thoroughbreds, eight-time Liberty League champions, will begin its ninth title defense after a solid showing in last weekend's Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Region Championships. In doubles, the top-seeded duo of sophomore
Risa Fukushige and
Dea Koiava made a deep run to the semifinals, falling to the eventual champion by a hard-fought 8-7 score. All of Skidmore's singles participants – sophomores
Jackie Ahn and Fukushige, and freshmen Koiava,
Audrey SooHoo,
Sofia Carlsson, and
Lily Feldman each won one match. SooHoo, Carlsson, and Feldman each made runs to the round of 16, with Koiava and Fukushige each meeting in an intense semifinal.
When the dust settled, Fukushige, the top seed, emerged as ITA Northeast Champion, defeating Koiava 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinal and NYU's Coco Kulle in the championship match, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. She will represent the region at the ITA Cup, held in Rome, Ga. in October.
Skidmore has dominated Liberty League action, especially in the regular season. The Thoroughbreds have won their last 15 league matches in a row, and are 55-1 in their last 56 league matches.
Union also enters the weekend after competing in the ITA Regional, and will be also be playing in its first dual match of the season. Five of the six singles players and both of their doubles tandems won their opening round matches at the tournament.
Bard comes into the weekend having competed in three dual matches, winning all three. The Raptors shut out Hartwick 9-0, beat SUNY-Delhi 8-1, and defeated Ramapo 6-3. Katie Esposito is undefeated so far in her three singles matches at the top spot, and Esposito and Katri Shields are a perfect 3-0 at first doubles.
