MIDDLETOWN, CT. – For the sixth season in a row, the Wesleyan women's tennis team will play for the NESCAC Championship following a stunning semifinal performance that saw
Sarah Youngberg '26 nail the clinching match point to advance Wesleyan 4-2 over Bowdoin College on Saturday morning at the John Wood Memorial Courts. Wesleyan is set to defend five-straight NESCAC title wins.
Ever the group to dig deep into their box of tricks, the 18-2 Cardinals, who rank sixth in the nation, shrugged off a 1-0 match hole after the 15-5 Polar Bears stole the early doubles point to open the action. Sitting just behind the Cardinals in the national rankings, the No. 7 Bears clipped two 6-2 doubles wins at No. 1 and No. 2, leaving the No. 3 doubles match unfinished with the clinch point.
Lane Durkin '27, one of two Cardinals amongst the Top 10 players in Division III, was the first to cash in with a singles victory, effectively tying the match up at one. Undefeated at 20-0, Durkin was swift in her pursuit to keep from a messy match with Suzanne Pogorelec, earning herself a 6-2, 6-2 victory on court two. Joining Durkin in the Top 10,
Jackie Soloveychik '27 gave the Cardinals the go-ahead point at No. 1. Dropping just two games in set one to Cara Hung, Soloveychik cruised to the end of the second set, securing a 6-2, 6-0 final.
While
Natalia Leroy was '28 one of the first to complete the first set, set two was a drawn-out fight to the finish . Filing in as the No. 4, Leroy steadily climbed to six games, holding off Jamilah Karah by two points to take the set lead. Following several flips that strung out to a 4-4 tie, Leroy led by one before toppling Karah 6-4, 6-4 to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.
A win on court five by the Bears cut the Cardinals' lead to just one, but with Youngberg up by five in set two at the close of the match, it was only a matter of time. Youngberg and Caroline Stuhlfault were neck and neck to reach the conclusion of set one, Youngberg digging back from three ties to win by two before skating to the match clinching point. Youngberg's 6-4, 6-0 final rendered the match over, advancing the Cardinals to their sixth-straight appearance in the NESCAC finals.
While left unfinished by Youngberg's win,
Lucinda Gatsiounis' '28 match at No. 6 was playing to an 11-point tiebreak of the first set.
The Cardinals will face top-seeded Middlebury on Sunday morning, May 4, for the NESCAC title with action beginning at 11 a.m.
