In the midst of the excitement of NESCACs and SCIACs I interrupt to bring you a preview of another conference tournament that we feel deserves some love from the blog: the Liberty League. I missed the boat on previewing the entirety of the conference tournament because the two quarterfinal matchups happened today, so I’ll keep it short and sweet with a preview just starting from the semifinals.
The Teams
#1 Skidmore
ITA National Ranking: 16, ITA Northeast Ranking: 8
Skidmore should have a lot of confidence going into the Liberty League Tournament. They have won the conference title for the past eight years, and are by far the favorite to earn their ninth. Skidmore has put together a really solid season, perhaps performing beyond expectations going into this year. In the fall they earned a shocking win over Bowdoin, and this spring they’ve proven they belong in the 15-20 range of the ITA rankings, with a win over Hopkins and close 4-5 losses to Williams, Mary Washington, and Washington & Lee. Risa Fukushige who has been so solid at the top of the lineup in singles, capping off the regular season with a win over Boehm from Middlebury, currently the Northeast’s top-ranked singles player. Fukushige and her doubles partner, Renee Karache-Sun have also put together an impressive season and sit at 5 in the regional doubles rankings. Skidmore defeated the second-ranked team in the conference, Vassar, 8-1 during the regular season, and I don’t think the Thoroughbreds will have trouble securing the tournament win this weekend.
#2 Vassar
ITA National Ranking: NR, ITA Northeast Ranking: 15
Vassar has earned their #2 seed in the Liberty League Tournament. They beat #3 seed William Smith 7-2 and #4 seed RIT 9-0 this spring, but weren’t able to compete with Skidmore (but shoutout to Meghan Rodick at #6 singles who got Vassar on the board in that match). Outside of the Liberty League, Vassar’s biggest win was a 5-4 win over Chapman, and both teams earlier in the spring were ranked in the 30’s of the ITA rankings but have since been displaced by others. Frances Cornwall has put together a really good season playing #1 singles for Vassar, as her record at the top slot is currently 14-3.
#3 William Smith
ITA National Ranking: NR, ITA Northeast Ranking: 19
Today I learned that there is a city in New York called Geneva and that is where William Smith is located. Anywho, their tennis team has been one of the solid performers in the Liberty League this year, and they’ve battled their way to a number of 5-4 wins – over University of Rochester, RIT, RPI, and St. Lawrence. Today William Smith beat Ithaca in the tournament quarterfinals and they’ll play Vassar tomorrow. Vassar won the matchup 7-2 during the season, and I expect it to be a fairly straightforward match for Vassar tomorrow.
#4 RIT
ITA National Ranking: NR, ITA Northeast Ranking: NR
This is only RIT’s second time making the Liberty League tournament so big props to their team for qualifying. And today RIT came from behind to defeat #5 seed St. Lawrence 5-3 which is their first tournament win in program history! It’s a big accomplishment that their team has made it all the way to the semis. Their program is on the up and up but not yet at the point of challenging Skidmore or Vassar.
The Matches
I’m always a fan of some drama when it comes to college tennis, but I have a feeling there won’t be much drama this weekend at the Liberty League tournament.
#1 Skidmore vs. #4 RIT
Prediction: 5-0 Skidmore
Skidmore rolled past RIT during the regular season and I think they’ll do so again tomorrow. In any case, RIT should be proud of the season they’ve had.
#2 Vassar vs. #3 William Smith
Prediction: 5-1 Vassar
I think Vassar will take this match without causing much worry, but I think William Smith will come away with a doubles win to get on the board. A couple singles matches could be close but I think Vassar will earn the fifth point before those have a chance to finish.
#1 Skidmore vs. #2 Vassar
Prediction: 5-0 Skidmore
Assuming we see this matchup for the finals, I think Skidmore will win with little drama on Sunday. I expect Skidmore to sweep the doubles, and I think two of the matches between #2-#5 singles will go Skidmore’s way before Vassar will be able to sneak in a singles win or two.
That’s it for now! Enjoy your weekend filled with the wonderful entertainment of conference tournaments!
Awesome to see coverage of the LL tournament. Thanks for posting. Liberty League is turning into a nice little conference. RIT and SLU have really developed their programs and are competing well across NYS. RPI is bringing in some nice recruiting classes recently and it looks like it’s only a matter of time before they look to be contending. Vassar is really strong and Skidmore is one of the least talked about teams in top 20. I will enjoy watching the Liberty League next year.