Sage to host Purchase in Skyline Tournament
October 21, 2009

Sage to host Purchase in Skyline Tournament

Sage's women's tennis team earned the No. 4 seed and will host the Panthers of Purchase College on Thursday. Action gets underway at 2 p.m. at Prospect Park.

Troy, NY----The Sage Colleges women's tennis team earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming 2009 Skyline Conference Championships. Sage will host the No. 5 seeded Panthers of Purchase College on Thursday, October 22 at Prospect Park at 2 p.m.

The winner advances to the semifinals on Saturday, October 24 to face top seeded Mt. Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY at a time to be determined. The 2009 Skyline Conference Champion earns an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships.

The Gators earned the No. 4 seed in the 2009 Skyline Conference tournament after posting an 8-3 overall record with a 6-2 mark in the league. Purchase College brings a 12-4 overall record and went 4-4 in conference play. In the regular-season meeting, Sage triumphed 5-4 back on September 16. Collecting the winning point in the match was Sage's Briana Bixler (Highland, NY/Highland), 10-6 over Tova Hadar (Woodbury, NY/Syosset) at fifth singles.

         Sage's Christina Gray (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) earned her second Skyline Conference Player of the Week selection after garnering two more singles and doubles wins last week. Gray owns a 16-0 record in Skyline Conference singles action over the past two years.

         Junior Kathryn Saulsbery (Colonie, NY/Colonie Central) stands at 6-3 this fall and is riding a three-match singles' win streak for Sage, while also adding a win with Gray against Yeshiva at first doubles.

         For the Panthers, junior Erin Higgins (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) has held down the spot at first singles and stands at 3-11 this fall, while senior Tatyana de Muns Olive Bridge, NY/Onteora Central) is 12-2 this fall with a 6-2 record in Skyline singles action playing at third and fourth singles. Colline Laninga (Hunter, NY) scored a singles win over her opponent from top seeded Mt. St. Mary this fall and is now 12-3 overall and 5-3 in the league. Higgins and Laninga have earned a 9-6 record together at first doubles and in the first meeting of these two teams, Gray and Erica Fitzgerald (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) were 8-1 winners.

Thursday's match will be played to decision, meaning the first team to win five points will triumph and the match will end.