MEADVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--Allegheny College captured its first-ever Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) women's championship Saturday afternoon with its 5-4 victory over Franciscan University in the PAC Women's Tennis Championship Tournament title match. 

Allegheny (14-0), the tournament's top seed, hosted Franciscan (10-3), the tournament's number two seed, at the Robertson Tennis Complex in Meadville. 

Allegheny announced its return to the PAC on August 23, 2021 after a 38-year run as a founding member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Allegheny was a PAC member from 1958 through the spring of 1984 and reentered the PAC as its 11th full-time member on July 1, 2022. 

The PAC did not sponsor women's championship events until the fall of 1984. 

This year's PAC Championship Tournament featured a six-team championship bracket format, with the nine-point team format played to decision (first team to five individual match wins).

Franciscan entered singles play with a 2-1 lead, winning at first and third doubles. 

Junior Maria Herrera (Houston, Texas | Clear Brook) and sophomore Olivia Colby (Merrimac, Mass. | Pentucket Regional) defeated senior Ella Swan (Nashville, Tenn. | Hume-Fogg Academic) and junior Jean-Arlette Legrand (San Juan, Puerto Rico | Commonwealth Parkville School) by an 8-2 score at first doubles, while freshmen Claire Cardie (Dublin, Pa. | Archbishop Wood) and Kina Ehlers (Westerville, Ohio | Big Walnut) won 8-5 against sophomore Sabrina Rodriguez (Kissimmee, Fla. | Professional and Technical) and freshman Ryan Cox (Tracy, Calif. | Homeschooled) at third doubles. Senior Katherine Marks (Argyle, Texas | Liberty Christian) and freshman Maria Lounder (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Moon) earned Allegheny's point in doubles, scoring an 8-1 victory at second doubles over senior Haley Davinsizer (Cranberry, Pa. | Seneca Valley) and senior Estelle Leon (Ventura, Calif. | St. Bonaventure). 

Legrand tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Colby at third singles. Lounder won 6-0, 6-4 over Davinsizer at fifth singles to give Allegheny a 3-2 lead. 

Herrera's 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 win over Marks at first singles tied the match at 3-3. Cardie defeated Rodriguez 7-5, 6-3 at fourth singles to give Franciscan a 4-3 lead. Cox picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win at sixth singles over Leon to even the match at 4-4. 

Swan's 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory over Ehlers at second singles secured the win for Allegheny.

Swan was recognized as the championship tournament's Most Outstanding Player following Saturday's title match. 

As the winner of the PAC Championship Tournament, Allegheny will receive the PAC's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championships. Team selections will be announced Monday, May 1, 2023. The first round of the Division III Championships is scheduled for Friday, May 5.