ITHACA, NY - The fourth seeded RIT women's tennis team (13-5) rallied to defeat No. 5 seed St. Lawrence University (9-8), 5-3 in a Liberty League first round contest from the Reis Tennis Center on the campus of Cornell University Friday morning.
 
The Tigers trailed 2-1 after doubles and 3-2 before winning the next three singles matches to earn their first Liberty League postseason victory. RIT also tied a single-season program record for wins, set in 1982.
 
RIT advances to the semifinals and will take on top-seed Skidmore College on Saturday morning at 8:45 a.m.
 
RIT took a quick 1-0 lead in the match, as the second doubles team of Amelia Ying (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and Shayna Ginster (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) earned an 8-3 win over Grace Van Tartwijk and Christina Ryan. The Saints would respond, winning the next two doubles points, as Maddie Nasch and Carly Jefferson defeated RIT's Claire Casalnova (Mars, PA/Pine Richland) and Annie Steinbrink (Upper Dublin, PA/Upper Dublin) by the same score at third doubles and Katherine Apt and Caroline Reilly rallied to defeat Anne Taylor (Beaver, PA/Beaver) and Kristen Zablonski (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) at first doubles, 8-7 in a tiebreaker.
 
All six singles matches featured lead changes and tremendous back and forth play, similar to RIT's 5-4 win over the Saints two weeks ago. Five of the six singles matches would go to a decisive third set.
 
Zablonski evened the match at 2-2, winning her fourth singles contest, 6-3, 6-3 over van Tartwijk for her 18th victory over 2018-19. The Saints would retake the lead, 3-2, as Katherine Apt rallied to defeat Taylor at second singles. Taylor won the first set, 6-2, before Apt won the next two, 6-2 and 6-0.   
 
Ying won a tremendous battle at first singles, knocking off Reilly, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to even the match at 3-3. Casalnova gave RIT the lead back for good at fifth singles, coming from behind to defeat Nasch in three sets. Nasch won he opening set, 6-4, before Casalnova responded by winning the second set, 6-3 and third set, 6-2.
 
Moments later, Ginster earned the fifth and decisive point to win the match for RIT, earning a 6-2 win in the third set over Christina Ryan at third singles. Ryan won the first set, 7-6 and Ginster took the second, 6-3.
 
At sixth singles, Auble and Jefferson were locked up in a tight battle, tied 4-4 in the third set before the match was called. Jefferson won the first set, 6-4, while Auble won by the same score in set two.
 
"I'm so proud of this group," said RIT head coach Tom Linhart. "To close out our first Liberty League Tournament win, coming from behind is a testament to not only our talent, but our drive. The future is bright for this group."