KINGSTON, PA – The Wilkes University women's tennis team defeated Stevens Institute of Technology 5-3 on Saturday to win their 14th straight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Wilkes also kept its season record perfect at 13-0. Stevens concluded their season with a 9-2 overall record.
 
Stevens opened a 2-1 lead after doubles play thanks to wins at No. 1 and No. 2. The Ducks' took No. 2 doubles 8-3 before finishing off pairs play with a hard-fought 8-5 win at No. 1. Wilkes' first team point came on an 8-0 victory at No. 3 doubles by Alexa Cieri (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) and Cassidy Greenman (Glen Gardner, NJ/Voorhees) to begin the match.
 
Zoe Klein (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) opened singles play cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Elsa Bley at No. 5 to tie the match at two. After Stevens took No. 1 singles to take back the lead, tournament most valuable player Sarah Malone (Williamsport, PA/Loyalsock) scored a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 4 to tie the match for the second time.
 
Cieri then came on to play No. 6 singles winning 6-0, 6-1 in quick work to give Wilkes a 4-3 lead. From there it was Greenman who came back from down three points in each set rattling off five straight for the win in set one and four straight in set two to take the victory 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3 clinching the match for the Colonels in the process.
 
The Colonels will find out who they face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday, May 10th.