NEW PALTZ, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz tennis team will ride their eight-game winning streak into this weekend's SUNYAC Tournament, April 29 and 30 at the Binghamton Tennis Club in Binghamton, NY. 
 
The Hawks, who finished the season with an 11-4-1 record and earned the No. 1 seed, face SUNY Cortland in the semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. If Rob Bruley's bunch emerge victorious, they will face the winner of the SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Oneonta matchup in the final on April 30 at 1 p.m. 
 
SUNY New Paltz and its semifinal opponent faced each other just once during regular season, with the Hawks winning all nine matchups, including two 6-0, 6-0 straight set sweeps courtesy of junior Onalee Batcheller, who was fourth in the SUNYAC at third singles with a 4-4 record, and freshman Isabella van der Veen, whose 4-3 record was third at fourth singles. 
 
"The 2021-2022 season has been one of the best and most competitive seasons we have had while I have served as head coach," said Bruley, a seven-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year winner. "As always, I like to challenge the team by playing the toughest schedule possible so we can prepare ourselves for conference play."
 
All of the Hawks' losses were in out of conference matchups, against The College of New Jersey, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rhodes University and St. Lawrence University. While the four losses marked the first time since 2017-2018 that they lost more than one match in the regular season, the team was a perfect 7-0 in the SUNYAC. The Red Dragons' 5-5 overall record (4-3 in the SUNYAC) earned themselves the four seed. In the regular season, SUNY New Paltz won five matchups by a score of 9-0, and over the last three seasons are 5-0 against SUNY Cortland, including 9-0 and 8-1 victories last season and a 5-0 SUNYAC Semifinal win in Oct. of 2020. Tatiana Barnett, the reigning SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, led the SUNYAC in all singles victories, going 10-2. 
 
 
"Our spring season has been very rewarding," continued Bruley. "We had a new look to the team by adding freshmen Anya Barteck and Isabel Van Der Veen who have both dominated their conference play. Also, bringing back certainly one of the best players ever to play for New Paltz, senior Trinity Chow. It is very difficult to just pick out one outstanding player when you have a team full of outstanding individuals who come together in both doubles and singles play. Not any one player can win in team tennis. It takes a team to reach the five points required to win a head-to-head team match."
 
Bruley said that such evidence of the importance of team play was showcased in the Hawks final match when they defeated rival SUNY Oneonta, which finished 6-1 in the conference and 15-6 overall, second in the SUNYAC. The victory decided the tournament's top seed. 
Meanwhile, SUNY Cortland put together an impressive stretch of four straight victories after the 9-0 loss to SUNY New Paltz. Perhaps its most important win was a 7-2 win on Sept. 4 against Plattsburgh State, a team in which they finished one game better than this season. 
 
The Red Dragons top player is junior Abby Madigan, who was 7-3 individually. Madigan's only conference loss was to the Hawks' Chow, the reigning Peter J. Cahill SUNYAC MVP, 6-0 and 6-3. Chow finished with a 6-2 record this season in number one singles, leading the conference. She also paired with Barteck for a 6-2 first doubles record. SUNY Cortland's Karlie Cubino, a sophomore who has not faced SUNY New Paltz this season, finished with a 5-3 record (3-2 in the SUNYAC). 
 
"The Cortland team is very much changed from the team we played in the fall," Bruley said. "They have a new number one [Cubino] and players that have improved over the season. I see this as a very challenging match. We will have to be on our game and take nothing for granted. Every win will have to be earned." 
 
On the other side of the bracket are the Knights and the aforementioned SUNY Oneonta. SUNY Geneseo, a team that the Hawks beat 9-0 on April 14, finished with a 9-7 overall record (5-2 SUNYAC) earning themselves the three seed. 
 
For the second seeded Red Dragons, senior Amelia Wilson was 8-2 on the year. In doubles play, sophomores Julia Holtermann and Sophia Schutte won seven out of nine matches. 
 
The third seeded Knights, whom SUNY New Paltz defeated 9-0 on April 14, were led by senior Julliana Schultz, whose 5-2 record led the team. She also combined with fellow senior Grace Klomp for a 5-3 doubles record. SUNY New Paltz's scheduled season-opening match against SUNY Oneonta on Sept. 1 was canceled. 
 
"There is no room for complacency and we must not look any further than the semi-final match up with Cortland," said Bruley of the team's mindset heading into the tournament. "I'm looking forward to some great conference tennis this weekend and for every player on our team to leave it all on the court and play to the best of their abilities. Best wishes to our three seniors, Trinity Chow, Allie Dratch and Alex Chimenti."
 
With a tournament victory, the Hawks would win their second consecutive SUNYAC title and their eighth overall under Bruley's stewardship.  

Preview Interview Featuring Alexandra Dratch

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