Mahwah, NJ:  The Ramapo College women's tennis team defeated the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers Newark University and the Panthers of Adelphi University, 5-4 today at the Athletic Center. Ramapo improves to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference while the Scarlet Raiders fall to 5-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference.  Adelphi gets handed their first loss of the season falling to 3-1.

In Ramapo's first match-up with Rutgers Newark, Ramapo led heading into singles play when they picked up points at second and third doubles. Anne Olaya (Jersey City, NJ) and Kelly Fitzsimmons (Middlesex, NJ) fell to rookies Laura Strandberg (East Brunswick, NJ) and Taryn Pontenza (Garfield, NJ), 8-3 before senior Jen Finaldi (West Milford, NJ) and rookie Jywel Almirante (Newton, NJ) defeated Jillian Dierenfield (Ankeny, IA) and Amanda Northrup (Brick, NJ), 8-3.

The Scarlet Raiders picked up points at first through third singles, Olaya defeated junior Kristine Austria (Jersey City, NJ), 6-2 and 6-2. Nicole Rubinetti (West Orange, NJ) defeated Potenza, 6-3 and 6-1 before Monica Iturralde (Kenilworth, NJ) picked up their fourth point of the match defeating Alison Tukel (Morris Plains, NJ), 7-2, and 6-4.

Strandberg picked up a point at fourth singles over Fitzsimmons, 7-5, 6-1 before Almirante defeated Dierenfield, 6-0, 6-1 at fifth singles. Wyble then picked up the win for Ramapo when she defeated Northrup, 6-4 and 6-0.

In the second match-up of the day, Almirante and Finaldi posted the only doubles victory at third doubles earning an 8-2 win.  Heading into singles action, Ramapo needed to take four of the six face offs to take the match.  The Panthers took first and second singles going up 4-1 on the Roadrunners before Alison Tukel (Morris Plains, NJ) and Strandberg posted back-to-back wins at third and fourth singles respectively.  Tukel earned a 6-2, 6-0 win and Strandberg followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win of her own.

Almirante stepped up at fifth singles earning a 6-0, 6-1 to tie the match at four points each before Liza Wyble (Millville, NJ) posted the final match point for Ramapo at the sixth and final singles spot, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.

The Roadrunners return to action on Monday, September 22nd when they take on William Paterson at home at 4:00 PM in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up.