GENEVA, NY (April 27, 2008) -- Vassar's women's tennis team rebounded from an earlier 5-4 loss to Skidmore this season and defeated the Thoroughbreds when it mattered the most: In the finals of the 2008 Liberty League Championship. The convincing 7-2 victory for Vassar is the seventh straight Liberty League Championship for Kathy Campbell's teams and improves this year's edition, ranked No. 17 in the country and No. 7 in the region, to 15-4. The victory, coming at an important time in the season, also positions the Brewers to another trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which would be Vassar's sixth straight. That announcement is expected to come Monday evening.

Playing confident and poised doubles, the Vassar tennis team rose to the occasion in the finals of the Liberty League Championship and swept all three doubles matches to secure a strong lead in the match.

Seven Times The Charm

Vassar's women's tennis team has captured the last seven Liberty League Tennis Championships dating back to the 2002 season. For more information visit the Women's Tennis section of the Ahletic's website
"This was the first time all year that we won all three doubles matches against a ranked opponent," said head coach Kathy Campbell. "Today we played aggressive, smart and loose at every doubles position. Our doubles pairs were really "in the zone" and went for their shots. Everything was just flowing, and we had so much positive energy on each court. Our transition and net games were particularly strong."

The #2 pair of Jamie Steele and Nicole Pontee finished their match first securing a dominating 8-2 win. Next, the #3 pair of Kelly Barnett and Courtney Burks defeated their Skidmore opponents, 8-4. At first doubles Krista Romita served a strong game at 7-5 to clinch the #1 match 8-5. Both the first and second doubles pairs had lost to the same opponents in the match at Skidmore just two weeks ago.

Vassar got off to a slightly slower start overall in the singles as five of the six players were down at least a game in the first four games of each match. Vassar quickly picked up momentum and took leads in three of the six first sets.

Kelly Barnett, #2 singles, was down 1-4 in her first set when she charged back winning the next eleven games to win her match 6-4, 6-0 against the region's #24 ranked player, Danielle Fancher from Skidmore. Barnett had lost to Fancher 7-5, 7-5 two weeks ago.

Needing one more point to secure a team win, #1 singles Nicole Pontee, established an early lead and then closed out her match to win 6-2, 6-4 avenging a previous loss two weeks earlier. Pontee took the ball early to dictate in the points and moved the ball well working her opponent out of position.

Next #4 singles Krista Romita and #3 singles Elysa Kliman lost 6-3, 6-4 and 6-2, 7-5 respectively. Alexis Jacobson, playing one the best matches of her Vassar career, posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the #5 singles spot. She hit precise and penetrating ground strokes, moved the ball well and made great volleys winning many points at the net.

Courtney Burks, now a remarkable 18-0 in singles this year, posted a dramatic comeback at the #6 singles position. She lost the first set 6-0, and was down 0-3, 1-4 and 2-5 in the second set. At 2-5 she rallied to win five consecutive games therefore clinching the second set, 7-5. In the match tie-break (third set), she was down 1-5, 4-7, 7-8 and 8-9 when she evened the score at 9-9 and continued her fight winning the next two points for the 11-9 tie-break victory.

Singles
1. Nicole Pontee (VAS) def. Rachel Loeb (SKD) 6-2, 6-4
2. Kelly Barnett (VAS) def. Dani Fancher (SKD) 6-4, 6-0
3. Jenny Grabler (SKD) def. Elysa Kliman (VAS) 6-2, 7-5
4. Laura Attley (SKD) def. Krista Romita (VAS) 6-3, 6-4
5. Alexis Jacobson (VAS) def. Stephanie Abrams (SKD) 6-3, 6-2
6. Courtney Burks (VAS) vs. Caroline Sherman (SKD) 0-6, 7-5, 11-9

Exhibition
7. Ashley McEvoy (SKID) def. Caroline Dunn-Rankin (VAS) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles
1. Elysa Kliman/Krista Romita (VAS) def. Rachel Loeb/Dani Fancher (SKD) 8-5
2. Nicole Pontee/Jamison Steele (VAS) def. Jenny Grabler/Stephanie Abrams (SKD) 8-2
3. Kelly Barnett/Courtney Burks (VAS) def. Laura Attley/Kyra Travis (SKD) 8-4

Exhibition
4. Alexis Jacobson/Elizabeth Anderson (VAS) def. Ashley McEvoy/Caroline Sherman (SKID) 8-4