ITHACA, N.Y. – The Liberty League men's and women's tennis championships return to the Reis Tennis Center at Cornell University as six men's teams and six women's teams will compete for Liberty League championships this Friday-Sunday, May 3-5. The top two teams for both men and women earn first-round byes. Two first-round matches will be held on Friday, May 3, two semifinals on Saturday, May 4, and the championship match on Sunday, May 5, for each gender. The championship teams receive the Liberty League's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.
Live scoring updates will be provided throughout the tournament through the iOnCourt mobile app. Results can also be accessed for each match through the following links:
LIVE SCORING: Men’s Championship | Women’s Championship
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (times may be adjusted throughout the tournament):
FRIDAY, MAY 3 (First Round):
8:30 a.m. (MEN): #5 Skidmore
5, #4 St. Lawrence
2
12:30 p.m. (MEN): #3 Ithaca
5, #6 Ithaca
0
2:40 p.m. (WOMEN): #5 Union
5, #4 St. Lawrence
4
6:30 p.m. (WOMEN): #3 RPI
5, #6 Ithaca
0
SATURDAY, MAY 4 (Semifinals):
8:30 a.m. (MEN): #5 Skidmore vs. #1 RPI
11:30 a.m. (MEN): #3 Vassar vs. #2 Hobart
2:15 p.m. (WOMEN): #5 Union vs. #1 Vassar
5:00 p.m. (WOMEN): #3 RPI vs. #2 Skidmore
SUNDAY, APRIL 30 (Championships):
9 a.m. (MEN): Semifinal winners
1 p.m. (WOMEN): Semifinal winners
ABOUT THE MEN'S TEAMS...
#1 RPI (15-1 overall, 8-0 Liberty League)
- RPI earned the top seed in the Liberty League tournament after going unbeaten in league play (8-0). The Engineers, currently the league’s top-ranked team at 23rd in the Division III poll, are ranked seventh in the ITA Northeast Region rankings.
- RPI defeated Hobart 5-4 on the road in a match that determined the top seed. The Engineers defeated the Statesmen in last year’s Liberty League championship match, 5-3, after sweeping the doubles matches.
- Junior All-American Aiden Drover-Mattinen anchors the RPI lineup from the first singles position for the third straight year. Drover-Mattinen is 13-3 in dual match singles play, including 7-1 in the Liberty League. His only loss in league matches was a close 7-6, 6-4 decision to Hobart’s Sean Pesin in Geneva. Drover-Mattinen and sophomore Andy Zhu have also combined for a 14-2 record at first doubles (7-1 Liberty League). Drover-Mattinen is currently ranked 13th in the ITA Northeast Region while Drover-Mattinen and Zhu are ranked eighth in the region in doubles.
- RPI went 43-5 in Liberty League singles matches and 20-4 in doubles matches. Zhu (8-0), Bryce Burnham (8-0) and Tasmay Shah (7-0) were unbeaten in the league.
#2 HOBART (14-5 overall, 7-1 Liberty League)
- After starting the spring 0-3 with losses to 9th-ranked Denison, Division I Cornell, and 21st-ranked TCNJ, Hobart strung together 12 straight victories before dropping a narrow 5-4 decision to RPI. The Statesmen are currently ranked 34th nationally and 10th in the ITA Northeast Region.
- The first doubles team of senior Sean Pesin and sophomore Nick Fischer currently rank fifth in the ITA Northeast Region with a 13-5 record and a 7-1 mark in Liberty League play. The team’s only loss was a narrow 8-7 (7-4) defeat to Vassar in Hobart’s first league match of the year.
- Pesin, an NCAA singles qualifier last spring, is 9-7 at first singles, including 5-1 in Liberty League play. As a team, Hobart went 40-8 in Liberty League singles matches and 18-6 in doubles matches.
- First-year Achilleas Kousaridis and junior Hyat Oyer lead the Statesmen with 14 dual match wins apiece.
#3 VASSAR (12-5 overall, 6-2 Liberty League)
- Vassar, currently ranked 45th in the latest Division III poll, has battled through some injuries this spring, but has continued to post strong results. After dropping a 5-4 decision at Hobart in the first league match of the spring, the Brewers won their next five Liberty League matches.
- Senior Jay Wong returned to the lineup after missing the 2022-23 season and has had a strong campaign at the top of the Vassar lineup. Wong is 10-7 in dual matches and 6-2 in the Liberty League with his only losses coming against Drover-Mattinen and Pesin.
- Vassar has been strong in the 3 through 6 positions in the singles lineup as each lineup spot has produced an 11-6 dual match record. First-year Eugene Lee is the team leader in dual match wins with 11, including a 7-1 mark at third singles.
- The doubles team of Lee and Pedro Cattaruzzi has had the most success, going 8-4 at third doubles and 2-1 in Liberty League play.
#4 ST. LAWRENCE (8-10 overall, 4-4 Liberty League)
- St. Lawrence, picked seventh in the Liberty League preseason poll, finished fourth under first-year head coach Tavis Rieger. The Saints opened their Liberty League schedule with a 5-4 win over Skidmore, the first win for the Saints over the Thoroughbreds since the 2009-10 season. The teams will meet again in the first match of the tournament Friday.
- Senior Adam Heilbronner climbed up to first singles this season after playing second singles as a junior. Including tournament play, he has seven wins this year.
- The strength of the Saints’ lineup is in the 4 through 6 spots as senior Ben Moolman and juniors John Hill-Edgar and Edvin Strandberg have combined for 25 dual-match victories, including 11 in Liberty League play.
- St. Lawrence’s first doubles team of Heilbronner and junior Broderick Pinto have played together the entire spring and own a 9-8 record (4-4 Liberty League).
#5 SKIDMORE (5-11 overall, 4-4 Liberty League)
- Skidmore is one of the youngest teams in the league with a roster consisting of one junior, two sophomores and six first-year players. The Thoroughbreds have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules having faced Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (#1), Middlebury (#2), Washington-St. Louis (#7), Trinity-Texas (#9) and Tufts (#11) along with three ranked Liberty League teams.
- Skidmore has gone 27-21 in Liberty League singles matches and 12-12 in doubles matches. Sophomore Nika Mori has been the team’s most consistent player with an 8-8 dual-match record and a 7-1 mark in the Liberty League.
- First-year players Louis Bourn, Yuval Goodman and Fletcher King have occupied spots in the top of the lineup. The Thoroughbreds have used 19 different doubles combinations this season. Bourn and junior Griffin Biernat are a combined 5-2, including a 5-0 mark in Liberty League matches.
#6 ITHACA (7-11 overall, 3-5 Liberty League)
- Ithaca returns to the Liberty League tournament for the first time since 2018-19 when the Bombers earned a first-round victory over Vassar. First-year head coach Tom Rishcoff has led Ithaca to a 7-9 record against Division III opponents and league wins over Union, RIT and Bard.
- Senior Nicolas Luis, an All-Liberty League second-team selection, anchors the Ithaca lineup from the number-one singles position. Luis has gone 10-7 in dual matches and 5-3 in the Liberty League. First-year player Gijs Fidler has had a strong rookie season with a 10-6 singles record (10-5 at second singles) and 5-2 in league matches.
- The doubles team of first-year players Fidler and Emiliano Pedrero has been solid for the Bombers, going 11-11 overall and 7-8 in dual matches at first doubles.
ABOUT THE WOMEN'S TEAMS...
#1 VASSAR (15-3 overall, 8-0 Liberty League)
- Vassar earned the tournament’s top seed for the third consecutive season. The Brewers are seeking their first Liberty League title since 2010. Vassar earned the top seed by a 5-4 victory over Skidmore on April 21.
- The Brewers, currently ranked 32nd in the latest Division III poll, enter the Liberty League tournament having won 13 straight matches.
- Sophomore Erin McCusker is one of the region’s top singles players with a 22-6 singles record, including 14-3 in dual matches. McCusker is currently ranked 28th nationally in Division III and 12th in the ITA Northeast Region.
- Vassar went 38-5 in Liberty League singles matches and 20-3 in doubles matches. Junior Elyse Duley (7-0), first-year Maddie Kirby (7-0), sophomore Ananya Krishnan (6-0) were undefeated in Liberty League singles play.
#2 SKIDMORE (10-5 overall, 7-1 Liberty League)
- Skidmore is the defending Liberty League champion, having won 12 straight Liberty League titles. The Thoroughbreds were the No. 2 seed last year as well but defeated Vassar 5-2 in a close final to retain the league title. Skidmore is currently ranked 38th in the latest Division III poll.
- Junior Konika Dhull moved from fourth in the singles lineup last season up to the top spot this year and has performed well. Dhull, currently 9-5 in dual-match play, ranks 43rd in the latest Division III poll and 18th in the ITA Northeast Region. She earned a 6-4, 6-4 win over Vassar’s Erin McCusker in a matchup of regionally ranked opponents.
- First-year player Katie Wong, who plays third singles for the Thoroughbreds, currently leads the team with a 12-3 dual-match record, including a perfect 8-0 in the Liberty League.
- Skidmore has found success in Liberty League doubles play, going 20-4. The team of Dhull and fellow junior Grace Truong has gone 6-2 at first doubles, including 5-0 in league matches.
#3 RPI (13-5 overall, 6-2 Liberty League)
- RPI has battled through injuries en route to a 13-5 overall mark and a 6-2 record in league play.
- Sophomore Nicole Ridenour has been one of the Liberty League’s top players the past two seasons. Ridenour has compiled an 11-3 singles record, including 8-2 in dual matches at the top position.
- Junior Lorna Flores-Gonzalez has split time between the top three positions in the singles lineup and has gone 8-8 in dual matches. First-year player Prisha Rapur has had a strong rookie season, going 10-2 in dual matches, including 8-1 at second singles.
- The doubles team of Rapur and junior Brooke Bauer has had the most success, going 8-3 at third doubles.
#4 ST. LAWRENCE (12-7 overall, 5-3 Liberty League)
- First-year head coach Tavis Rieger has led the Saints to a fourth-place finish, including six wins in the team’s last seven matches. The young St. Lawrence lineup consists of just two seniors along with five sophomores and four first-year players.
- Sophomore Angelica Aksdal-Jansen, one of the league’s top rookies last year, jumped from the middle of the singles lineup to the top position this season and has compiled a 16-7 singles record, including a 7-5 dual-match record at number one. Classmate Molly Jespersen is 10-4 in dual matches, including 8-3 at second singles.
- Twins and first-year players Ariane and Yvette Karera have been impactful players in both singles and doubles. Ariane is 10-6 in dual matches, playing primarily third singles while Yvette is 12-6 in dual matches, playing primarily fourth singles. In doubles, the Karera sisters have combined for an 11-2 mark at second doubles.
#5 UNION (10-7 overall, 4-4 Liberty League)
- Union, at 10-6 in Division III, climbed to as high as 50th in the Division III rankings in early April – the first national ranking for the program.
- The Garnet Chargers have just one senior among the top six singles players in senior Gracie Nicol. First-year player Luisa Arizpe-Sierra is one of the league’s top rookies having compiled a team-best 14-2 dual match record, including 4-0 after recently climbing up to second singles. Sophomore Chara Meidani is 9-6 in dual matches, including 8-4 at second singles.
- The Union doubles team of Arizpe-Sierra and sophomore Kennedy Alexis leads the team with a 9-7 dual-match record, including 7-7 at second doubles.
#6 ITHACA (8-9 overall, 3-5 Liberty League)
- Ithaca, under first-year head coach Tom Rishcoff, earned a pair of 5-4 Liberty League wins over RIT and William Smith to clinch a spot in the league tournament.
- Junior Taylor Crain, the 2021-22 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, and first team all-league selection is one of the Liberty League’s top players. Crain has compiled an 18-8 singles record, including a strong 11-6 record at first singles.
- First-year player Alys Pop, one of five rookies on the Ithaca roster, has gone 9-6 in singles play, including 5-4 in the number-two position.
- Crain and Pop have teamed up to form the Bombers’ top doubles pairing. The duo has gone 12-6 in doubles competition, including 6-4 at first doubles.