Special to the OBSERVER
Three Fredonia State seniors were inserted into the lineup Monday in an 8-1 women's tennis victory over the Thiel Tomcats.
The Blue Devils improved to 7-2 with the win, the final home match of the season.
The seniors were recognized during a ceremony before the match, then all responded with wins.
Katie Clark and Julie Kalita combined to win the No. 3 doubles match, 8-2, over Thiel's Mercedez Quarles and Kelsey Smith.
Lesley Cerniglia earned the No. 6 singles point when she defeated Smith, 6-0, 6-0.
"All three seniors that played won their first match of the year," Fredonia State coach Joe Calarco said. "It's something that they'll remember forever."
It was the first varsity match for Clark and Kalita, and the first match of the season for Cerniglia.
Among the Fredonia State underclassmen, juniors Miller Barmasse and Jess Johnston (Fredonia) combined to win the No. 2 doubles match as well as singles matches - Johnston at No. 2, Barmasse at No. 4.
Other Fredonia State singles winners were junior Alison Phillips at No. 1, sophomore Sara DiFulvio at No. 3, and junior Molly Zanetti at No. 5.
See FSU,?Page B2
"After she lost the first set she really came back strong," Calarco said of Phillips. "That was a good showing."
The Blue Devils are scheduled to travel to Alfred on Tuesday before closing out their regular season Wednesday at Roberts Wesleyan.
They are then scheduled to meet Plattsburgh at 7 p.m. Friday in Binghamton in the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament. The Blue Devils are the No. 3 seed from the West Division, and the Cardinals are No. 2 from the East.
