Women's Tennis
Lebanon Valley 8, Messiah 1

Full Results

GRANTHAM, Pa. - Lebanon Valley clinched a Commonwealth Conference playoff berth Wednesday, dropping Messiah 8-1 to once again return to the postseason.

The Dutchmen (10-6, 4-1 CC) are making their seventh consecutive trip to the CC playoffs; they have been in the last three championship games, winning the 2009 title. LVC will play a semifinal on Wednesday, April 27 against either Messiah, Alvernia, or Lycoming; an LVC win over Alvernia on Thursday would lock up the #2 seed and earn LVC a home semifinal match.

The Falcons pushed LVC to three sets at three singles flights, but the Dutchmen dropped just a single point in a match. Shayna Heintzelman highlighted the victory with a comeback 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Erin Ipsen, and the middle of LVC's line-up produced strong results to secure the win.

LVC went up 3-0 in doubles, with Heintzelman/Christie Graf blanking Ipsen/Katelyn Clark 8-0 at No. 1, Lauren Fulmer/Tam Lobb beating Kristen Chen/Cassie Beck 8-4 at No. 2, and Morgan Brady/Jess Ferlenda topping Steph Knepper/Ellen Harpold 8-6 at No. 3.

In singles, Fulmer had no problem with Clark at No. 2, winning 6-1, 6-1, and Graf won her eighth straght match with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Chen at No. 3. Tam Lobb beat Beck 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4.

Brady had to fight at No. 5 against Clark, but ultimately came back to win 4-6, 6-2, 10-8, while at No. 6, Messiah picked up its only point as Knepper held on against Danielle Bordner to win 6-3, 4-6, 13-11.