MEADVILLE, Pa. -- In Wednesday's rematch of the 2022 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship, the Allegheny College women's tennis team secured a key victory over Franciscan University, 5-4.

The Gators (1-1, 1-0 PAC) opened their conference schedule with a win that could have significant playoff implications by the end of the season. Last fall, Franciscan's only PAC loss came against Allegheny, and the Gators would repeat that decision to hoist the conference championship trophy.

With score tied at 4-4, first-year standout Emiliia Grydnieva (Kyiv, Ukraine/Optima) won the deciding match at No. 2 singles in three sets. Grydnieva lost the first set to Olivia Colby, 6-4, but rebounded to win the following two sets, 6-3, 6-4. 

Grydnieva's singles triumph was one of three for the Blue and Gold. Her doubles teammate, Rei Etsumi (Honolulu, Hawaii/President William McKinley), beat Margaret Vernau in the No. 5 spot, 6-4, 7-5, while Noelle Kidd (Broadview Heights, Ohio/North Royalton) cleaned up in the sixth spot, 6-0, 6-0.

As a tandem, Etsumi and Grydnieva recorded one of two doubles wins with a convincing 8-2 victory over the Franciscan (3-2, 1-1 PAC) duo of Jordan Beltavski and Delaney Dawson.

Doubles Results
1. Maria Herrera / Olivia Colby def. Sabrina Rodriguez / Allison Riley, 8-2
2. Jean-Arlette Legrand / Maria Lounder def. Claire Cardie / Veronica Saunders, 8-6
3. Emiliia Grydnieva / Rei Etsumi def. Jordan Beltavski / Delaney Dawson, 8-2

Singles Results
1. Maria Herrera def. Jean-Arlette Legrand, 6-4, 6-1
2. Emiliia Grydnieva def. Olivia Colby, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Claire Cardie def. Sabrina Rodriguez, 6-3, 6-2
4. Jordan Beltavski def. Maria Lounder, 7-5, 6-2
5. Rei Etsumi def. Margaret Vernau, 6-4, 7-5
6. Noelle Kidd def. Veronica Saunders, 6-0, 6-0

Up Next
On Friday, September 22, the Gators will host another PAC match against Waynesburg University at the Robertson Athletic Complex at 2:00 p.m.