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Women’s Tennis Going to NCAAs; McGowan Earns NEAC Player of the Year
April 30, 2009
Sophomore Megan McGowan was named the NEAC Player of the Year.
The Keuka College women’s tennis made a little history at this year’s North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Championships that were held at the Birchwood Tennis Center in Clarks Summit, PA over the weekend.
The Storm finished second overall in the team portion of the championships but were still able to accept the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament due to the provisional status of Penn State-Harrisburg. The Nittany Lions narrowly defeated the Storm 5-4 in the championship match. This will be the women’s tennis team’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 2 seeded Storm started off the team portion by shutting out No. 3 Wells College by a score of 5-0. Keuka won all three doubles matches (8-4, 9-7, and 9-8 [7-3]). The Storm then won the first two flights of singles while the final four were unfinished.
Keuka then squared off against Harrisburg in the Championship match. The Nittany Lions knocked off the No. 4 seed Penn State-Berks (5-2). Keuka won one of the three doubles matches with sophomore Megan McGowan (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) and junior Alison Liberty (South Berwick, ME/Marshwood) taking the top flight by a score of 8-4. The two teams then split its six singles matches with McGowan (2-6, 6-3, 6-3), Liberty (6-4, 6-4), and freshman Nicole Becker (Hornell, N.Y./Avoca), 6-0, 6-5, winning.
In the individual portion of the championships, Keuka really separated themselves from its NEAC foe’s. In the top flight of singles, No. 2 McGowan won her first match 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 before upsetting the top seed 6-4, 6-0 in the championship match. The win earned McGowan NEAC Player of the Year honors as well as a spot on the All-NEAC first team.
Liberty also made it to the championship match in the second flight after winning 6-0, 6-0 in her first match. Her opponent from SUNY Cobleskill, defeated her in the championship match (6-4, 6-4) as Liberty was named to the All-NEAC second team.
In the fourth flight, junior Jennifer Heinrich (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) lost both of her matches by scores of (5-7, 6-2, 6-4) and (7-5, 4-6, 6-4). Becker won the fifth flight winning (6-1, 6-1) and then (6-2, 6-4) in the championship match to be earn a spot on the All-NEAC first team.
The Storm’s lone senior, Katie Bremer (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) made it to the championship match with her first round win (5-7, 6-4, 6-2). She was stopped in the finals by an opponent from Harrisburg (6-1, 6-4). Bremer was named to the All-NEAC second team.
In doubles, Keuka took first in the both the first and third flights while finishing second in the second flight. McGowan and Liberty won (8-4, and 8-4) to earn sports on the NEACs first team. Bremer and Heinrich also won (8-4, and 8-4) to earn first team honors. Becker and fellow rookie Kelsey Tamblin (Batavia, N.Y./Oakfield-Alabama) won there first match (9-7) before falling in the finals (8-4). The duo were named to the NEAC second team.
In all, Keuka had all three of its doubles make either first or second team while five of its six singles made the first two conferences teams.
The Storm will find out when, where, and who they play in the NCAA Tournament this Monday, May 4 by 7 pm.
