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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - Graduate student Emily Aaldenberg pulled out a three-set victory at No. 6 singles to give the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's tennis team a 5-4 win over Union College in a critical Liberty League contest. The Engineers remain alive for a post-season berth as they improve to 6-9 overall and 3-3 in the league. If RPI defeats Vassar College on Saturday and the Dutchwomen knock off William Smith College on Sunday, RPI qualifies as the fourth seed in the four-team conference playoffs.

Union (9-6; 2-4) jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles thanks to wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Engineers actually held a 1-0 lead when the No. 1 team of Emily Laurilliard and Melanie Frank - one of the top tandems in the league - posted an 8-1 win.

The Dutchwomen made it 3-1 with a win at No. 1 singles, but Frank battled to a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 3 for a 3-2 deficit. Union's Paige Webster answered with a win at No. 5, but the Engineers got wins from Pooja Ganesh at No. 4 (6-1, 6-3), Laurilliard at No. 2 (6-4, 6-0) and Aaldenberg at No. 6 (6-0, 3-6, 6-2) to end Union's six-match winning streak. 

Saturday's match against Vassar, which begins at noon, is Senior Day, at which Laurilliard, a captain, will be honored. 

Rensselaer 6, Union 3
4-29-16 at Schenectady, N.Y. (Union Tennis Courts) 

Singles competition

1. Natalia Pronchick (UC) def. Erica Frommer (RPI_WT) 6-2, 6-2

2. Emily Laurilliard (RPI_WT) def. Mina Hsia (UC) 6-4, 6-0

3. Melanie Frank (RPI_WT) def. Hayley Lough (UC) 6-1, 6-1

4. Pooja Ganesh (RPI_WT) def. Julianne Loree (UC) 6-1, 6-3

5. Paige Webster (UC) def. Nisha Rajamohan (RPI_WT) 6-4, 6-3

6. Emily Aaldenberg (RPI_WT) def. Lena Diller (UC) 0-6, 6-3, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. Emily Laurilliard/Melanie Frank (RPI_WT) def. Natalia Pronchick/Mina Hsia (UC) 8-1

2. Hayley Lough/Paige Webster (UC) def. Erica Frommer/Andrea Valencia (RPI_WT) 8-6

3. Nisha Rajamohan/Mailani Neal (RPI_WT) def. Lena Diller/Julianne Loree (UC) 9-7

 

Match Notes

Rensselaer 6-9

Union 9-6

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,5,4,2,6)

T-3:43 A-57