TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Top-seeded Allegheny College will face upstart sixth-seed Franciscan University in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Tennis Tournament Championship match Monday after the teams were victorious in semifinal action Saturday.

The Gators (14-2) will host Monday's championship match in Meadville following their 4-0 triumph over No. 4 Westminster College (8-4). The Barons (10-4) pulled out their second consecutive upset by knocking off No. 2 Grove City College (10-3) by a 4-3 count. 

In Allegheny's victory, the Gators managed to pull out the doubles point by taking two competitive matches against the Titans. The first decision came at third doubles when sophomore Emiliia Grydnieva (Kyiv, Ukraine Optima) and freshman Adriana Navarro (Distrito Central, Honduras/DelCampo School) were winners by a 6-3 score and that was followed by a 6-4 decision at first doubles by sophomore Omega Ba (Orlando, Fla./Edgewater) and freshman Evie Ellenberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) to send Allegheny into singles play with a 1-0 advantage.

The top seed would clinch the victory by taking straight-set wins at fourth, fifth and sixth singles. Ellenberger was the first winner, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6, followed shortly after by freshman Alejandra Villanueva (Bogotá, Colombia/French Touch Academy) taking a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 4. The clinching decision was at fifth singles, as junior Maria Lounder (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) posted a 6-0, 6-3 win, which sent the Gators into the championship match for the third year in a row.

The other semifinal was a thriller that came down to a three-set battle at first singles. Franciscan, who upset No. 3 Saint Vincent College 4-1 in Thursday's quarterfinal, started this match off by capturing the doubles point. A 6-2 Grove City win at third doubles by senior Alyssa Good (Wapakoneta, Ohio Wapakoneta) and junior Courtney DeCarlo (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) was answered by 7-5 victories by the Barons at first doubles by junior Claire Cardie (Dublin, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and junior Kina Ehlers (Westerville, Ohio/Big Walnut) and at second doubles by Olivia Colby (Merrimac, Mass./Pentucket Regional) and sophomore Jordan Beltavski (Chardon, Ohio/The Lyceum).

With Franciscan leading 1-0 going into singles action, the teams battled through all six matches. Grove City took straight-set decisions by freshman Iris Kiehl (Warren, Pa./Warren) at No. 4, Good at No. 5 and senior Janel McCray (Jessup, Md./Hammond) at No. 6. The Barons managed wins by Colby at second singles and Ehlers at third, leaving the match to Franciscan's Cardie and Grove City sophomore Peyton Joines (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) at No. 1 to see who would advance.

After Joines took set one by a 6-1 count, Cardi rebounded with a 6-4 victory in the second to force a decisive third set. Joines took a 3-2 lead in the set, but Cardie rallied again, winning the next four points to close out the 6-3 set win and send Franciscan into Monday's championship match.

Playing in the PAC Championship match is familiar territory for both teams. Allegheny will be hosting the title match for the third consecutive year since returning to the PAC prior to the 2022-23 year and the Gators won the 2022 crown with a narrow 5-4 victory over Franciscan. Meanwhile, the Barons, who won PAC championships in the spring of 2021 in the Covid season and then again in the fall of 2021, will be playing in the conference title tilt for the fourth time in the last five years.

When the teams played in the regular season this year, it was Allegheny coming away with a 5-0 over Franciscan in Steubenville Sept. 25. This year's tournament champion will secure the PAC's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championships. Team selections will be announced Monday, May 5, 2025. The first round of the Division III Championships is scheduled for Friday, May 9.