Photo courtesy of Sagehen Athletics
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s tennis team upset the No. 1 ranked CMS Athenas 5–3 to claim the SCIAC Tournament Championship on May 4 at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center at Claremont McKenna College.
The Sagehens claimed the SCIAC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2011 with their fifth SCIAC Tournament Championship in program history. The Sagehens also handed CMS their first loss of the 2024 season and improved to 17–5 overall.
Much like their first meeting this season, the Athenas got out to a 2–1 lead after doubles with the Sagehens only claiming one of the three doubles matches. Pitzer’s Marissa Markey ’25 and Angie Zhou PO’25 got the Sagehens out to an early lead with an 8–5 win at the No. 2 doubles, but CMS came back with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
CMS started off the singles competition with a quick win at No. 6 singles to make it 3–1 before the Sagehens started their comeback. Pitzer’s Nyakiriri Kanefu ’27 took a win at No. 3 singles while Lauren Rha PO’26 and Zhou both won tiebreakers in set one and went on to win in straight sets. Rha earned a win at No. 2 while Zhou won at the No. 1 doubles to put the Sagehens up 4–3.
The championship clinch came at No. 5 singles as Leticia Bazua Vazquez PO’27 had an impressive performance for the Sagehens with a three-set win over Ella Brissett as the Sagehens stormed the court to celebrate their first SCIAC Tournament Championship in 13 years.
Markey’s match went unfinished at No. 4 singles, but Markey led over Sena Selby in the third set.
The Sagehens will now enter the NCAA Tournament as the automatic qualifier from the SCIAC.
Adapted from the Pomona-Pitzer Athletics press release “Sagehens Win SCIAC Tournament Championship Over No. 1 CMS.” To learn more, please visit Sagehen Athletics.
