MEADVILLE, Pa. -- For the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years, the Allegheny College women's tennis team is the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champion.

The No. 1-seeded Gators (12-0) successfully avenged their finals loss from 2023 with a 4-1 victory over No. 2 Grove City College on Saturday afternoon at the Robertson Athletic Complex. With the win, Allegheny captured its third PAC championship and the fifth conference title in program history. The Blue and Gold also earned the PAC's automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Championships next spring.

The Wolverines (9-4), who upset the Gators for the crown two years ago, once again proved to be a worthy contender in the finals. Grove City earned its lone point at No. 2 singles, and the Wolverines were up a set following tiebreakers in both the first and third matches.

Leading 1-0 after securing the doubles point, sophomore Evie Ellenberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) was the first to complete her singles match with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4. Junior Rei Etsumi (Honolulu, Hawaii/President William McKinley) then extended Allegheny's lead to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph out of the sixth position. Leading 3-1 with the Wolverines threatening to grab another singles win, senior Maria Lounder (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) clinched the championship by taking down Emma Flanigan, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 5.

Lounder, a member of all three PAC championship teams, was crowned the PAC Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She finished the tournament undefeated with a 4-0 record, increasing her career total to 107 wins, fifth-most in program history. Ellenberger and Gabrielle Bassette (Miami, Fla./Miami Country Day School) were also included on the PAC All-Tournament Team.

Doubles Results
1. Emiliia Grydnieva / Evie Ellenberger def. Grace Stitt / Emma Flanigan, 6-2
2. Maria Lounder / Gabrielle Bassette def. Peyton Joines / Grace Yurko, 6-0
3. Giada Palmieri / Rei Etsumi vs. Iris Kiehl / Blaire Beatty, 4-4 (unfinished)

Singles Results
1. Gabrielle Bassette vs. Grace Stitt, 6-7 (2), 5-5 (unfinished)
2. Grace Yurko def. Emiliia Grydnieva, 6-4, 6-3
3. Giada Palmieri vs. Peyton Joines, 6-7 (2), 1-4 (unfinished)
4. Evie Ellenberger def. Iris Kiehl, 6-2, 6-3
5. Maria Lounder def. Emma Flanigan, 6-2, 6-3
6. Rei Etsumi def. Blaire Beatty, 6-3, 6-3

Up Next
After an extended break during the winter months, the Gators will begin their spring trip in Florida with a pair of matches against the University of Mary Washington and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Tuesday, March 3.