ITHACA, NY (October 17, 2009) – Paced by senior Nicole Pontee who defended her bragging rights at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, the Vassar College women's tennis team won four titles at the New York State Championships on Sunday, hosted by Ithaca College at Cornell University's Reis Tennis Center. Freshman Jennifer Ruther won the No. 5 singles flight, while the sophomore duo of Jennifer Beckerman and Nicole Block took home the No. 2 doubles title.

Facing Rochester's Frances Tseng in the finals, Pontee defended her title with relative ease, in a 6-3, 6-2 win. Pontee closes out the fall season with a 10-2 record in singles play.

In doubles, Pontee teamed with sophomore Joy Backer earning hard-fought wins in the semifinals and finals on Sunday. Against Alex Goodman and Frances Tseng of Rochester in the semifinals, Pontee and Backer won 9-7. In the title match, Pontee and Backer again faced a tough opponent, Nataly Mendoza and Danika Robison of Skidmore. The Brewers duo fought off their Liberty League opponents, 8-6.

Ruther continued to impress in her first collegiate season, capturing the title in the No. 5 singles flight. Ruther dropped just five games in three games, with her closest match coming in the championship, a 6-3, 6-0 win over Skidmore's Brittany Trimble. Ruther is 6-1 in singles play.

At No. 2 doubles, Beckerman and Block defeated Melanie Cohen and Agata Kubik of Ithaca, 8-3, in the semifinals, and then captured the title with an 8-5 win over Jamie Bow and Danielle Schreck of Rochester. It is Beckerman's second doubles title after winning the No. 3 flight last season with graduated senior Alexis Jacobson.

The three other players in singles championships matches did not go down quietly, as No. 3 Joy Backer dropped a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 decision to Nataly Mendoza of Skidmore, No. 4 Elizabeth Anderson fell to Danielle Fancher of Skidmore, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, and No. 5 Natalie Santiago lost a 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 match to NYU's Flora Lee.

The New York State Championships represent Vassar's last competition of the fall season.

Full Results

No. 1 Singles, No. 1 Nicole Pontee
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Hallie Mabrey (Union) , 6-2, 6-1
Semifinals: def. No. 4 Christina Nunez (Ithaca), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Championship: def, No. 3 Frances Tseng (Rochester), 6-3, 6-2

No. 2 Singles, No. 1 Jennifer Beckerman
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: loses to Alexa Wimes (NYU), 6-2, 6-0

No. 3 Singles, No. 1 Joy Backer
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Danielle Schreck (Rochester), 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5
Semifinals: def. No. 4 Devra Reiman (Ithaca), 6-1, 6-2
Championship: loses to No. 3 Nataly Mendoza (Skidmore), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2

No. 4 Singles, No. 3 Elizabeth Anderson
Round of Sixteen: def. Melanie Cohen (Ithaca), 0-6, 6-2, 10-5
Quarterfinals: def. Brianna Dickie (RPI), 6-2, 6-1
Semifinals: def. No. 2 Lena Krups (NYU), 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
Championship: loses to No. 1 Danielle Fancher (Skidmore), 7-6 (7-1), 6-3

No. 5 Singles, No. 1 Jennifer Ruther
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Kelly Noble (Nazareth), 6-1, 6-0
Semifinals: def. No. 3 Lisa Mijovic (NYU), 6-1, 6-0
Championship: def. No. 2 Brittany Trimble (Skidmore), 6-3, 6-0

No. 6 Singles, No. 1 Natalie Santiago
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Julie Burkett (RIT), 6-0, 6-1
Semifinals: def. No. 4 Remy Raevesky (William Smith), 6-0, 6-2
Championship: loses to Flora Lee (NYU), 6-0, 2-6, 6-1

No. 1 Doubles, No. 1 Pontee/Backer
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Flora Lee/Alexa Wimes (NYU), 9-8(7-4)
Semifinals: def. No. 3 Alex Goodman/Frances Tseng (Rochester), 9-7
Championship: def. No. 2 Nataly Mendoza/Danika Robison (Skidmore), 8-6

No. 2 Doubles, No. 1 Beckerman/Nicole Block
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Shari Damon/Casey Kennedy (William Smith), 8-2
Semifinals: def. No. 4 Melanie Cohen/Agata Kubik (Ithaca), 8-3
Championships: def. Jamie Bow/Danielle Schreck (Rochester), 8-5

No. 3 Doubles, No. 1 Caroline Dunn-Rankin/Santiago
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Jess McCue/Katie Serock (William Smith), 8-6
Semifinals: loses to No. 3 Sarah Hollis/Devra Reiman (Ithaca), 8-5