POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 16, 2015) – The Vassar women's tennis team will play a pair of dual matches this weekend against the No. 13 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend April 18-19.   

In the Polls
ITA Division III Full Rankings
The Vassar women's tennis team moved up two spots in the in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III Rankings released on April 9, now tabbed as the No. 22 team in the country. VC also improved upon its ranking in the Northeast Region, moving up from No. 10 to the No. 9 spot in the rankings. Freshman Kate Christensen (Los Angeles, CA/Connections Academy) is ranked as the No. 11 singles player in the region, moving up one spot from the March 26 rankings. Seniors Samantha Schapiro (Milford, NJ/Rutgers Preparatory School) remain the No. 2 ranked doubles team in the Northeast.    

Last Time Out
No. 22 Vassar defeated Bryn Mawr College and No. 30 Wellesley College in a pair of dual matches to finish the weekend 4-0 to claim its 12th Seven Sisters Championship on April 12. The Brewers were dominant in the tournament, losing just one match and four total sets the entire weekend en route to the Championship.
 
Opponent: MIT (13-5, 8-0 NEWMAC)
Links: (Women's Tennis Home Page) (Roster)  (Schedule)
Date: April 18, 2015
Time: 1:30 pm
Location: Cambridge, MA (Carr Tennis Bubble)
A Look at the Engineers
Saturday's matchup with MIT will be a battle of two of the top teams in the Northeast Region, as both sides enter the matchup inside the top ten. MIT, ranked 13^th nationally and fifth in the Northeast, is 13-5 overall this season in dual matches while finishing 9-0 in the NEWMAC. The Engineers are currently playing the most grueling stretch of their spring schedule and have dropped four straight matches to four nationally ranked opponents (Claremont-Mudd Scripps, Pomona-Pitzer, Bowdoin College & Williams).  
Sophomore Elysa Kohrs enters the match 9-7 on the season as MIT's No. 1 single player, and is currently ranked 9^th in the Northeast. Kohrs and junior teammate Victoria Tam have teamed up to play the bulk of MIT's No. 1 doubles matches, going 14-7 overall as a pair while being slotted as the No. 7 team in the Northeast.

Previous Meeting
MIT earned an 8-1 win over Vassar when the team's met on April 19 last season at Joss Courts. MIT was also the No. 13 team in the nation at the time, sweeping singles and winning two of three in doubles to seal the victory.
 
Opponent: RIT (4-8, 2-4 Liberty League)
Links: (Women's Tennis Home Page) (Roster)  (Schedule)
Date: April 19, 2015
Time: 2 pm
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY (Joss Tennis Courts)
A Look at the Tigers
Saturday's tilt with MIT will be the final non-conference match of the season for the Brewers, as the team resumes Liberty League play against RIT the following day. The Tigers have struggled at points this season, holding a 4-8 overall record and 2-4 mark in the Liberty League. RIT has had more success as of late, winning three out of its past four matches since April 9.
Senior Sara Bjork has played at No. 1 singles primarily for the Tigers this season, going 3-8 in head-to-head competition. Bjork has paired up with sophomore Paige Baker to play No. 1 doubles for RIT, as the duo has gone 4-2. Riane Reithel and Diane Wang is currently riding a four-match win streak at No. 3 doubles.

Previous Meeting
VC earned a perfect 9-0 sweep over RIT last season when the teams met on Sunday, March 30 in Rochester, NY.
 
Honors Keep Rolling In
The Vassar women's tennis team earned two selections to the Liberty League Team of the Week on Monday, as Ava Sadeghi and Morgan Fitzgerald both received nods as the Singles Player and Rookie of the Week.
The duo was also named to the ECAC Team of the Week yesterday, as Vassar swept the DIII Upstate Team of the Week honors for the second straight week.

Liberty League Shaping Up
Heading down the stretch of the season, the Liberty League playoff picture for women's tennis has begun to take shape. Skidmore has locked up the No. 1 overall seed with a 6-0 conference record and one Liberty dual match remaining. The Thoroughbreds hold the tiebreak over Vassar with the head-to-head victory in the event both teams shared 6-1 records.

At 4-1, Vassar is in prime position to clinch a spot in the playoffs this weekend when the Brewers face RIT on April 19. A win would put the Brewers one step closer to securing the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, which will be held at the Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, NY May 2-3. 

Coming Up Next
Vassar will bring its regular season to a close next Saturday, April 25 when the team hosts St. Lawrence University for senior day at Joss Courts.