TROY, N.Y. – Fresh off the first Liberty League Championship in program history, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's tennis team will make its NCAA Championship debut Friday morning when the Engineers face Allegheny College at 10 a.m. at host Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
RPI enters the national tournament playing some of its best tennis of the season, having won nine of its last 10 dual matches while outscoring opponents by a dominant 53-11 margin during that stretch. The Engineers capped the run with victories over St. Lawrence and nationally-ranked Vassar to capture the Liberty League title and secure the program's first NCAA Tournament berth.
The Engineers' lineup has been anchored throughout the spring by a balanced and experienced core led by
Nicole Ridenour,
Kayla Wheeler,
Gauri Muliyil,
Victoria Sarabosing,
Juliette Ceas, and
Neha Saraswatula, all of whom have contributed significant singles and doubles success this season.
At the top of the lineup, Ridenour has delivered key performances in both singles and doubles play, posting a 10-6 doubles record alongside
Anushka Jaiswal at the No. 1 position. The pairing has earned victories in seven of its last nine matches.
Wheeler has also played a major role in the Engineers' success, compiling a 9-7 singles record while excelling in doubles play with Sarabosing. The duo enters NCAA competition riding a six-match winning streak at No. 2 doubles, owning a 7-3 overall record together.
Sarabosing, named the Liberty League Championship's Most Outstanding Performer, has won eight of her last nine singles matches and carries an 11-4 overall singles record into Friday's matchup.
Muliyil has added strength in the middle of the lineup with a 9-7 singles record, including a current three-match winning streak, while also teaming with Ceas for one of the team's most successful doubles combinations. The pair owns a 10-3 overall doubles record and has been a steady presence throughout the season.
Ceas has contributed extensively in both singles and doubles competition, posting an 11-5 doubles mark and a 9-8 singles record, while Saraswatula has been nearly unbeatable late in the season. Saraswatula finished first in the Liberty League with a remarkable .944 singles winning percentage, compiling a 17-1 overall singles record and entering NCAA play on a 10-match singles winning streak.
