MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The top-seeded Allegheny College women's tennis team is returning to the championship.

On Thursday afternoon, Allegheny punched its ticket to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament finals by defeating fourth-seeded Westminster College, 5-1, in the semis. The Gators will now face the No. 2 seed, Grove City College, in the championship match on Saturday, October 21, after the Wolverines beat Franciscan University in the other semifinal, 5-2.

Although Westminster (10-6) won two of three doubles matches in its regular-season meeting with Allegheny (10-1), the Gators took the lead on Thursday by securing 8-4 victories on the second and third doubles courts. Leading 2-1, the Gators only needed three wins during the singles portion of the match to clinch the victory.

Noelle Kidd (Broadview Heights, Ohio/North Royalton) was the first singles player off the court. Kidd did not drop a game and swept Grace Askey on the sixth singles court by an impressive 6-0, 6-0 score. Likewise, Maria Lounder (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) began her fourth singles match with a 6-0 first-set win. She then broke a 3-all tie in the second set to record a straight-set win of her own.

At one point, it looked like all the remaining matches were headed to a third set. However, Sabrina Rodriguez (Kissimmee, Fla./Professional and Technical) overcame a 5-2 deficit in her second set against Ryleigh Valone to force a seven-point tiebreaker. Rodriguez's hard-fought 6-0, 7-6 (3) victory at No. 3 singles over Valone proved to be the deciding match.

Doubles Results
1. Gia Francisco / Christine Rossi def. Sabrina Rodriguez / Allison Riley, 8-4
2. Jean-Arlette Legrand / Maria Lounder def. Caroline Fox / Ryleigh Valone, 8-4
3. Emiliia Grydnieva / Rei Etsumi def. Emma Overlingas / Taylor Dlugozima, 8-4

Singles Results
1. Jean-Arlette Legrand vs. Gia Francisco, 2-6, 5-5, unfinished
2. Emiliia Grydnieva vs. Christine Rossi, 2-6, 6-4, 0-1, unfinished
3. Sabrina Rodriguez def. Ryleigh Valone, 6-0, 7-6 (3)
4. Maria Lounder def. Caroline Fox, 6-0, 6-3
5. Rei Etsumi vs. Emma Overlingas, 6-3, 3-6, unfinished
6. Noelle Kidd def. Grace Askey, 6-0, 6-0

Up Next
Allegheny will host the 2023 PAC Championship Tournament finals on Saturday, October 21, against Grove City. Due to inclement weather in the forecast, the match will be held indoors at the Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 4:00 p.m.