EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University women's tennis team completed competition at the 2019 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Women's Tennis Individual Championship at the Ralston Athletic Complex and Kirby Park courts on Sunday, coming away with five of the seven singles titles and one of the four doubles championships.

Dasha Yakhnis (Verona, NJ/Verona) (No. 3), Laura Zielinski (Mt. Wolf, PA/Northeastern) (No. 4), Dagney Markle (New Oxford, PA/New Oxford) (No. 5), Rachel Thomas (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) (No. 6) and Sarah Malone (Williamsport, PA/Loyalsock) (No. 7) won singles titles while the team of Yakhnis and Francesca Varela-Seri (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) captured the No. 1 doubles title.

Wilkes now has 63 all-time singles champions and 36 all-time doubles champions to lead the conference.

Singles Brackets

Doubles Brackets

Complete Results

Yakhnis won her first career MAC Individual singles title at the No. 3 position. The second seeded Yakhnis defeated the three seed Kayla Dello Iacono of FDU-Florham 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals today. In the final the sophomore was able to take down the top seed in Alexis Fuda of Stevens by a convincing 6-2, 6-1 score to win the championship.

Zielinski became a three-time singles champion at the conference event by adding the No. 4 singles title to the list of her accomplishments. The senior top-seed started the day with a hard fought semifinal win over the fourth seed Emily Wilczek of Lebanon Valley. Zielinski won 7-6(4), 6-4 to move to the final. Zielinski then defeated unseeded Isabella Calandra of Stevens 6-0, 6-4 to claim the title.

Markle added her second career singles title at the MAC Individual Championship this time at the No. 5 position. The junior was the top seed and was able to work past the No. 4 seed of Meridyth Sanders of Lebanon Valley in the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-0 decision. Markle then knocked off the two seed from Stevens in Makenna Sargis 6-3, 6-2 to win the title.

Thomas made it two-for-two for her career in taking home singles titles at the event. The sophomore followed up her No. 5 title from last season with the No. 6 championship this season. As the top seed Thomas battled the fourth seeded Nicole Badalyan of Stevens in the semifinals and came out on top with a 6-4, 3-6, 10-3 victory. Thomas then defeated the unseeded Sabrina Ricciardi of DeSales 6-1, 7-5 in the final.

Malone won her third consecutive singles title in fine fashion. The junior only dropped four games total in her four No. 7 singles matches during the tournament. Today she defeated Kelsey Kazlaukas of DeSales 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals before taking out Joilin Gomez of Stevens 6-1, 6-0 to claim the title.

At No. 1 singles Varela-Seri was seeded third and battled with the No. 2 seed in Agatha Malinowski of Stevens in the semifinal. The senior came up on the short end of a 6-4, 2-6, 4-10 score. The Colonels did not have a competitor at No. 2 singles.

Varela-Seri was able to gather a measure of revenge against Malinowski in the No. 1 doubles flight. Yakhnis and Varela-Seri, the top seed, first defeated the fourth seeded Megan Carter and Skylar Wright of Hood in the semifinals 8-2. In the final, Yakhnis and Varela-Seri took out the No. 2 seed from Stevens in Malinowski and Audrey Heaberlin in a tight 8-7(6) battle. It was the fourth doubles title for the senior Varela-Seri and the first time she won the No. 1 championship. Likewise, it was the first No. 1 doubles title for Yakhnis at MACs and the second overall of her career.

Markle and Zielinski had to settle for runner-up at No. 2 doubles after the top seed was defeated by Fuda and Calandra of Stevens, who were the No. 2 seed, by an 8-5 score. Markle and Zielinski defeated the fourth seeded Nicole Honrade and Madison Poladian of Lebanon Valley 8-4 in the semifinal.

At No. 3 doubles Malone and Alexa Cieri (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) were able to move past the third seeded Alex Rodier and Abby Connors of DeSales in the semifinals 8-4. The second seeded duo from Wilkes then fell 8-4 in the final to the top seeded duo from Stevens in Badalyan and Sargis. The Colonels did not have an entry in the No. 4 doubles flight.

Wilkes' fall season is now complete as the Colonels will return to the court this spring to complete the 2019-20 season as they look for their 14th consecutive MAC Freedom championship.