Women's Tennis | 10/16/2025 7:05:00 PM
TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Top-seeded Allegheny College and second-seeded Grove City College posted home semifinal victories Thursday afternoon to advance to the championship match in the 2025 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Tennis Tournament.
The Gators (11-0) stayed undefeated this season with a 4-0 sweep over No. 4 Washington & Jefferson College (10-4), while the Wolverines (9-3) moved on with a 4-1 triumph over No. 3 Franciscan University (9-3). The PAC Championship Match will be Saturday, Oct. 18th in Meadville where Allegheny will host Grove City, with first serve set for 1 pm.
Allegheny's win began with wins at first and second doubles to secure the opening point of the match. At No. 2 doubles, the Gator duo of senior Maria Lounder (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) and freshman Gabrielle Bassette (Miami, Fla./Miami Country Day School) scored a 6-0 win, which was followed by sophomore Evie Ellenberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and junior Emiliia Grydnieva (Kyiv, Ukraine/Optima) winning a 6-3 decision at No. 1 to send Allegheny into singles play ahead 1-0.
A pair of Gators made it two wins for the day when they earned singles victories to extend their lead to 3-0. Bassette was a 6-0, 6-1 winner at No. 1, while Lounder came away with a 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 5 to leave the Gators one win away from advancing.
The clinching win came shortly after when junior Rei Etsumi (Honolulu, Hawaii/President William McKinley) was also victorious in straight sets by a 6-2, 6-0 count at sixth singles, which moved the Gators into the championship match for the fourth consecutive year.
The Grove City-Franciscan semifinal featured tightly-contested matches throughout. The Wolverines did secure the doubles point with a pair of wins. At second doubles, junior Peyton Joines (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) and freshman Grace Yurko (Reisterstown, Md./St. Paul's) were winners by a 6-4 score and sophomore Iris Kiehl (Warren, Pa./Warren) and freshman Blaire Beatty (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Bloomfield Christian) claimed a 6-3 triumph at third doubles.
In singles competition, three matches were decided in straight sets, with two going in Grove City's favor. Joines (6-4, 6-3) and Beatty (6-1, 6-3) collected their second wins of the day with victories at third and sixth singles, respectively. Franciscan posted their initial win of the match by a 6-4, 6-3 score at No. 2 singles from senior Kina Ehlers (Westerville, Ohio/Big Walnut).
The final three matches were all pushed to third sets, but before the Barons could mount any more of a comeback, Grove City freshman Emma Flanigan (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) closed out a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory at fifth singles to wrap up the Wolverines' spot in Saturday's title match.
Saturday's final will pit the Gators, the defending champions and winners of two of the three PAC championships since they returned to the conference, against the Wolverines, who have a PAC-high 31 league crowns in their program's history. Grove City's last championship came in 2023 when as the second seed, they knocked off No. 1 Allegheny in the final, 5-2. Joines had a big hand in the Wolverine win that day, scoring an 8-5 victory at third doubles and adding a 7-5, 6-2 triumph at third singles.
In this year's regular season meeting between the programs, Allegheny emerged with a 5-2 victory, the only PAC match this season the Gators did not record a sweep. Sparking the Allegheny win was Bassette (second doubles/first singles), Grydnieva (first doubles/third singles) and Ellenberger (first doubles/fourth singles) all winning twice.
Saturday's winner will secure the PAC's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championships. Team selections will be announced Monday, May 4, 2026. The opening weekend of the Division III Championships which will feature first, second and third round matches, will be Friday-Sunday, May 8-10.