JMU Dispatches Elon 4-1 to Earn CAA Title Berth

Saturday, April 23

Elon, N.C.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

Elon

4/23/2016 6:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis

ELON, N.C. – James Madison women's tennis is headed to the Colonial Athletic Association title game for the first time in program history after the third-seeded Dukes dropped second-seeded Elon 4-1 in the CAA semifinals.

The clinching point for JMU (18-6) came at No. 3 singles courtesy of sophomore Kimmy Herrock. After taking the first set 6-4 from Natalia Janowicz, the two battled to a 6-6 tie in the second set to send it to a tiebreak. Knotted at 2-all, Herrock won the next five serves to secure the Dukes' trip to the championship match.

Kimmy Herrock sends #JMUSports to the #CAAChamps finals w/ a tiebreaker victory https://t.co/mODnHTJ53b
— CAASports (@CAASports) April 23, 2016

JMU will face top-seeded William & Mary on Sunday for the CAA Championship at 2 p.m. at Elon's Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

Early in the day, JMU trailed 1-0 in doubles after a No. 3 win by the Phoenix. Junior Timea Guibe and Herrock tied the doubles decisions at 1-all after battling to the 6-4 win at No. 2. Taylor Casey and Erica Braschi made a late run on the Dukes, who led 5-2, but the JMU duo settled in and took the victory.

The opening point came down to No. 1 doubles. Freshman Abby Amos and junior Rebecca Harris led Kirsten Ward and Natalia Janowicz 4-3 before the Phoenix won back-to-back games to take their first lead at the top position. Amos and Harris, however, never panicked and fought to win the final three games to clinch the victory and JMU point.

Amos and Harris clinch the doubles point for #JMU in its women's tennis #CAAChamps semifinal match with #Elon https://t.co/I2WV9jlvzX
— CAASports (@CAASports) April 23, 2016

Elon quickly tied the match at 1-all with a two-set win at No. 2 singles. Guibe pushed JMU back out in front with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Olivia Lucas at No. 1, before freshman Emma Petersen gave the Dukes a 3-1 lead off a 6-1, 7-6(1) win over Suzanne Zenoni at No. 4 singles.

FULL RESULTS
Doubles (3, 2, 1*)

Abby Amos/Harris def. Ward/Janowicz 7-5
Guibe/Herrock def. Casey/Braschi 6-4
Zenoni/Lucas def. Petersen/Bella Heidenreich 6-2

Singles (2, 1, 4, 3*)

Timea Guibe def. Olivia Lucas 6-4, 6-3
Erica Braschi def. Rachel Nelson 6-2, 6-1
Kimmy Herrock def. Natalia Janowicz 6-4, 7-6(2)
Emma Petersen def. Suzanne Zenoni 6-1, 7-6(1)
Dylan Owens vs. Kirsten Ward 7-6(6), 2-3 unf.
Rebecca Harris vs. Taylor Casey 3-6, 6-5 unf.

CAA HISTORY
The Dukes have never advanced to the title game since the CAA moved to a dual format in 1995. JMU has never won the league championship, but finished as the runner-up five times in the tournament-point format, last hitting the mark in 1991.

STATS OF NOTE

Kimmy Herrock is now 16-3 this spring, including a 12-1 mark at the No. 3 position.
Emma Petersen is now 16-5 this spring and has won nine of her last 10 completed matches.

UP NEXT
JMU advances to the CAA title game for the first time in program history and will face top-seeded William & Mary on Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Held at Elon's Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, the Tribe won their semifinal game against fourth-seeded College of Charleston 4-3 on Saturday.