SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's tennis team looks to earn an unprecedented ninth consecutive Liberty League crown this weekend. The Thoroughbreds will take on the league's best in the Liberty League Tournament, beginning with the league semifinal on Saturday.
 
Skidmore, the regular season champion, earns a first-round bye and will await the #4 RIT/ #5 St. Lawrence winner on Saturday at 8:45 a.m. On the other side of the bracket, second-seeded Vassar will face the #3 William Smith/ #6 Ithaca winner at 11:30 a.m. The semifinal winners will meet for the Liberty League title Sunday at 10 a.m. All matches will take place at Cornell University's Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, N.Y.
 
Skidmore, (11-6) ranked 16^th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, went through the Liberty League season unscathed, finishing undefeated for the third season in a row, outscoring its opponents by an impressive 71-1 margin. The Thoroughbreds are 63-1 in the last 64 league dual matches in the regular season, and are riding a 19-match tournament win streak. All of Skidmore's Liberty League titles have come during this impressive run.
 
This young Thoroughbred group has dominated league competition all season, with just two losses in all singles and doubles matches (87-2 record). Leading the way is returning Liberty League Player of the Year and singles All-American Risa Fukushige. The sophomore is fifth in the Northeast region as a singles competitor, sporting a 20-6 overall record. She's won nine of the last 10 matches and has taken down an impressive nine ranked opponents this season, including the top-ranked player in the region, Middlebury's Heather Boehm. Junior Renee Karchere-Sun has a 13-7 record, as the veteran sports a 5-0 record against league opponents.
 
Dea Koiava leads a strong freshman group, as the rookies have given Skidmore a lift in the lineup. Koiava has an 18-8 overall record and has played in the second spot in dual matches. She's already taken down a ranked player, defeating Frances Cornwall of Vassar early in the season. Audrey SooHoo sports an impressive 20-5 record playing near the bottom of the lineup. SooHoo ripped an impressive 14-1 run during the middle of the season. Perhaps the hottest of all is Lily Feldman. She leads the team with 21 singles wins, going 21-4 overall. She's 15-2 in dual matches this season in the middle of the lineup and is 17-2 in her last 19 matches. Sofia Carlsson (7-5) and lone senior Laura Swenson (five wins) are also featured in the Skidmore lineup.
 
In doubles, the tandem of Karchere-Sun and Fukushige are the second-ranked duo in the Northeast region. The pair has an 11-4 record, playing at the top doubles spot in the lineup. The duo has wins over ranked foes from Wellesley, Brandeis, and Washington and Lee. SooHoo and junior Jessica Ampel have played as the second doubles tandem down the stretch, with four wins.