Box ScoreBLOOMSBURG, Pa. (April 25) – The No. 12 Vulcans claimed their ninth-straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship by earning a 5-0 victory over No. 32 IUP in the finals of the league tournament on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania tennis team improves to 14-3 overall and extends its winning streak to five matches. The Vulcans entered the weekend as the top seed in the Atlantic Region and will likely make their 11th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled to stream on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28.
The Vulcans swept doubles play for the fifth-consecutive match to take a 3-0 lead on Saturday. Senior
Jesse Burrell (Perth, Australia/Presbyterian Ladies' College) and sophomore
Kiefer Shaw (Westmount, Quebec/Centennial), the top-ranked doubles team in the region, tallied an 8-2 victory at the first position over Tanya Timko and Jarka Petercakova, the second-ranked tandem in the region. At the second slot, senior
Ramona Czakon (Trier, Germany/Tampereen Lyseon Lukio) and sophomore
Mariela Sarinana (Mexico City, Mexico/Miraflores) posted their 10th win of the season with an 8-1 victory against Luise Von Agris and Rachel Wood. Sophomore
Veronika Mikulis (Otterburn Park, Quebec/Heritage Regional) and freshman
Lena Dimmer (Wallendorf-Pont, Luxembourg/Lycée Classique) claimed an 8-4 win at third doubles over Sophie Butland and Alanna McFail.
Cal U clinched the match victory and the league title with a pair of victories in singles play. Dimmer recorded a 6-2, 6-0 victory over regionally-ranked Gonzalez at the third position to extend her winning streak to four matches. At the fourth slot, Sarinana moved into a tie for the team lead with her 14th singles victory of the year by downing Butland by a 6-4, 6-1 count.
Following the championship match, Czakon was named the PSAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after posting a pair wins at second doubles over the weekend.
Cal U now holds the outright lead in conference history with 11 overall league titles (1991, 1993, 2007-15). The Vulcans and Crimson Hawks have played for the PSAC Championship in each of the last five seasons.
With the loss, IUP falls to 17-7 this season and will likely earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament after entering the weekend ranked second in the region.
