UMBC

New Haven, Conn.—The fourth-seeded UMBC women’s tennis team (15-7) advanced to the America East semifinals with a convincing 4-0 victory over fifth-seeded Albany early this afternoon at Yale University’s tennis complex.

The Retrievers advance to meet top-seeded Binghamton (14-2) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. The Bearcats edged UMBC, 5-2, in Vestal, N.Y. on April 10, in a match which featured four of six singles matches going to three sets.

UMBC captured the doubles point, as the No. 2 duo of sophomore Carmen Jackman (Silver Spring, Md./Blake) and junior Emily Mannix (Hillsborough, N.J.) defeated the Albany tandem of Susan Ma/Aubrey Brooks, 8-4, and the No. 3 team of senior Barbara Couto (Teresopolis, Brazil)  and freshman Lorena Valente (Florianopolis, Brazil) outlasted the Great Dane duo of Caitlin Crowley and Sarah Iannone, 8-3.

Senior Alice Chen (North Potomac, Md./Quince Orchard), who dropped ten games to Albany’s Livia Gherman in her 6-4, 7-6 win on March 28, overwhelmed her rival, 6-1, 6-0, this afternoon at the No. 1 slot.

Valente opened up singles with a 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Lanie Mackey at the No. 3 slot, and Jackman wrapped up the Retriever victory with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Ma at the No. 2 position.

UMBC is seeking their first appearance in the championship match since 2007, when they fell to Boston University. The second-seeded Terriers, who will meet No. 3 Stony Brook on Saturday, are seeking their 17^th consecutive women’s tennis conference title.