ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's tennis team shut out visiting Utica, 9-0, in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Saxons secured the school's first-ever berth in the four-team Empire 8 championship tournament.

AU improved to 6-5 overall and finished its Empire 8 slate with a 5-3 league mark. The top four teams make the tournament, with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA championships. AU, which can finish no worse than fourth in the conference, has competed in the past in the E8 championships, when all league schools made the field. This marks the first time AU has qualified since the league made it a four-team championship.

Against Utica, swept the doubles matches. Sophomore Rachel Cook (Youngstown, OH/Laurel Springs) and junior Emma Jackson (Wellsville, NY/Wellsville) won first doubles, 8-0; seniors Brennan Ferguson (Destrechan, LA/Ursuline) and Emily Eisenberg (Oyster Bay, NY/Oyster Bay) took second doubles, 8-0; and senior Betsy Clark (Webster, NY/Bishop Kearney) and freshman Danielle Hickin (Endicott, NY/Maine-Endwell) won third doubles, 8-4.

The Saxons also swept the singles matches. Ferguson won first singles, 6-1, 6-1; Cook won second singles, 6-0, 6-0; Jackson won took third singles, 6-0, 6-0; Eisenberg won fourth singles, 6-1, 6-0; Clark won fifth singles, 6-1, 6-0; and junior Kallie Clapper (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley) won sixth singles, 6-2, 6-3.

The Saxons wrap up their regular season at noon Sunday (Oct. 5) at Oswego.