PIKE CREEK, Del. – In a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference semifinal match that lasted nearly five hours and was moved to a different setting due to darkness, the Goldey-Beacom College women's tennis team triumphed over Holy Family University, 5-4 on Tues. night to advance to the conference finals.
Freshman Vanessa Velasquez and HFU's Liana Lui split their first two sets at No. 4 singles when their match was held up by the CACC official due to darkness. All other matches had been completed, but the two teams were deadlocked at four apiece, so the match was then moved to Green Bank Park where Velasquez and Lui were to play out the third set under the lights.
Velasquez, further impressing on the CACC why she is a strong candidate for rookie of the year, won the third set to claim her match 7-6 (5) 5-7, 6-4 and earned GBC its fifth and decisive point to win the match.
GBC's team depth was crucial today as the Lightning lost the first two doubles matches and the first two singles matches, but won the third doubles and the bottom four singles matches.
The Pereira sisters, after losing at No. 3 doubles versus HFU during the regular season, came up with a huge 8-1 win when GBC needed it most. With that win, the Lightning only trailed 2-1 heading into singles play.
Freshman Melanie Bonomo and sophomore Marina Sales bowed out at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, and HFU was just one singles win shy of a return trip to the CACC finals.
But freshman Blanca Sancho came through with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 3 singles and L. Pereira was again clutch with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 5.
The Tigers' Chelsea Brown had junior Daniela Pereira on the ropes at No. 6 singles, but Daniela prevailed with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4 win to set the stage for the dramatic No. 4 singles win by Velasquez to earn GBC its first ever trip to the CACC Finals.
In other semifinal action today, the No. 1 seed Concordia College defeated the defending champions and No. 4 seed, Philadelphia University, 5-0. The Lightning will face off against the Clippers in the finals on Thurs., Sept. 15 at Chestnut Hill College.
AGATE
No. 2 GBC (13-1) 5, No. 3 HFU (9-4) 4
Singles
1. Juliana Victoria (HFU) def. Melanie Bonomo (GBC) 6-2, 6-3
2. Jin Querubin (HFU) def. Marina Sales (GBC) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Blanca Sancho (GBC) def. Melanie Pulsinelli (HFU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Vanessa Velasquez (GBC) def. Liana Lui (HFU) 7-6 (5) 5-7, 6-4
5. Luciana Pereira (GBC) def. Linda Piecyk (HFU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Daniela Pereira (GBC) def. Chelsea Brown (HFU) 6-7 (6) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
1. Victoria/Querubin (HFU) def. Sales/Sancho (GBC) 8-4
2. Lui/Pulsinelli (HFU) def. Bonomo/Velasquez (GBC) 9-8 (1)
3. L. Pereira/D. Pereira (GBC) def. Nicole Dogas/Brown (HFU) 8-1
