Lehigh University
Colgate
Mountain Hawks fall to Colgate in PL quarterfinal
4/16/2010 1:45:00 PM | Football
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HAMILTON, N.Y. – Senior Stacey Reich picked up a three-set win in her final college match but it was not enough to lead Lehigh into the Patriot League semifinals for the seventh straight year as the No. 5 seed Mountain Hawks fell to No. 4 Colgate 4-1 in the opening round of the Patriot League tournament Friday at Colgate’s Abrahamson Courts. The Raiders won the doubles point and picked up two straight set singles wins to lead 3-1 before clinching the match with a three-set win at No. 2 singles.
Colgate moves on to face No. 1 seed Army in Saturday’s semifinals, while Lehigh’s season comes to an end at 4-14.
The match was much closer than the final score indicated as four of the six singles matches were either decided in three sets, or were in the third set when the match ended.
The Raiders raced to an early 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. Elise DeRose and Cameron Williams downed senior Julie Arthofer and sophomore Liz Piscitelli 8-2 at No. 1 doubles, while Jackie Stimmel and Merideth Rock won 8-2 over junior Kiera Murasko-Blank and freshman Abbey Perl.
Colgate extended its lead when Stephanie Brown won 6-1, 6-3 over Murasko-Blank at No. 5 singles, before Reich put Lehigh on the board with her three set win over Williams at No. 3 singles. Reich won the first set 6-4, lost the second 5-7, but prevailed in the third 6-4.
DeRose held off Arthofer 6-4, 7-6 at No. 1 singles to put Colgate up 3-1, meaning Lehigh needed to win the remaining three matches to advance. All three matches went to third sets, but Inacker picked up the decisive point, beating Piscitelli 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 at No.2 singles to put Colgate into the semifinals.
Of the two matches that did not finish, Lehigh freshman Gena Levengood was up 4-3 over Rock in the third set at No. 6 singles, while at No. 4 singles, Stimmel led freshman Patricia Muething 2-0.
Lehigh will lose just two players, Arthofer and Reich, to graduation and five of the six returning Mountain Hawks saw action in Friday’s match.
Colgate 4, Lehigh 1
Doubles
1. DeRose/Williams (CU) def. Arthofer/Piscitelli (LU) 8-2
2. Inacker/Bender (CU) led Reich/Muething (LU) 5-4, DNF
3. Stimmel/Rock (CU) def. Murasko-Blank/Perl (LU) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 1. DNF: 2.
Singles
1. Elise DeRose (CU) def. Julie Arthofer (LU) 6-4, 7-6
2. Samantha Inacker (CU) def. Liz Piscitelli (LU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-0
3. Stacey Reich (LU) def. Cameron Williams (CU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
4. Jackie Stimmel (CU) led Patricia Muething (LU) 6-2, 4-6, 2-0, DNF
5. Stephanie Brown (CU) def. Kiera Murasko-Blank (LU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Gena Levengood (LU) led Merideth Rock (CU) 7-5, 4-6, 4-3, DNF
Order of finish: 5, 3, 1, 2. DNF: 4, 6.
