April 22, 2012

2012 Patriot League Women's Tennis Tournament Central

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Army has dominated the Patriot League in recent memory and entered this year's League tournament with 11 titles in the last 13 years, including seven in a row.

The Black Knights saw no reason to change the outcome again this season.

Army, which entered the 2012 women's tennis tournament in the unfamiliar position of the No. 2 seed capped off another championship season with a 4-1 victory Sunday over Academy rival Navy at the Lewis Tennis Center on the campus of Lehigh University.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament brackets will be announced Tuesday, May 1, at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com.

The Black Knights extended their own record by winning their eighth straight League championship.

Army junior Erin Colton, the 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, and freshman Natalie Allens shared the John "Pat" Rooney Award as Tournament MVPs.

Just as Army had done in its previous two matches at the tournament, it captured the doubles point to take an early lead. Margaret Iliev and Carly Riney were victorious first at No. 3 doubles with an 8-0 win over Darien Sears and Dye Das, while Della and Elle Taylor won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles over Emani Decquir and Stefanie Ton.

Colton and Jamila Paul were leading Navy's Erin Snook and Noelle Kaufmann 5-4 at No. 2 when the Black Knights clinched the opening point.

Navy pulled even with Army at 1-1 when Snook rebounded for a convincing 6-2, 6-0 victory over Iliev at No. 4 singles.

Army regained the momentum when Allen earned a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win over Ton at No. 3 singles, but the real drama was saved for the top two singles matches.

Jamila Paul, the 2011 Rookie of the Year, rallied from a 1-6 loss in the first set and tied her bout with Decquir at No. 2 singles after posting a 6-4 win in the second frame. She scored a 6-2 win in set No. 3 to win her contest and extend Army's lead to 3-1.

Colton finished off the match for the Black Knights at No. 1 singles. She and Sears split their first two matches, with Colton winning 6-3 in the opener while Sears paid it back with a 6-3 win of her own in the second frame. Colton won the third set by the same 6-3 tally to secure the match and the 2012 championship.

Navy's Gabby Winter was leading Della Taylor 6-4, 4-1 at No. 5 singles, while Army's Elle Taylor was up 4-3 in the first set of her match with Kaufmann at No. 6.

No. 2 Army 4, No. 1 Navy 1

Doubles
1. D. Taylor/E. Taylor (A) def. Decquir/Ton (N) 8-2
2. Colton/Paul (A) vs. Snook/Kaufmann (N) 5-4, DNF
3. Iliev/Riney (A) def. Sears/Das (N) 8-0

Order of finish: 3, 1

Singles

1. Erin Colton (A) def. Darien Sears (N) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
2. Jamila Paul (A) def. Emani Decquir (N) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Natalie Allen (A) def. Stefanie Ton (N) 6-4, 7-5
4. Erin Snook (N) def. Margaret Iliev (A) 6-2, 6-0
5. Gabby Winter (N) vs. Della Taylor (A) 6-4, 4-1, DNF
6. Elle Taylor (A) vs. Noelle Kaufmann (N) 4-3, DNF

Order of finish: 4, 3, 2, 1