BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The 23rd-ranked Rock turned back hosting Bloomsburg by a 5-1 margin Friday afternoon in semifinal action of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships.
With the win, The Rock (20-2) moved into Saturday's 9 a.m. championship match against fifth-ranked California U. of Pa., a 7-0 winner over Kutztown in the other semifinal match.
In addition to seeking the the conference title, The Rock will look to avenge a 9-0 loss to the Vulcans, one of only two setbacks suffered this spring by
Matt Meredith's Green and White squad.
Kayla Blackburn, younger sister
Samantha Blackburn and
Jessica Hilborn each had a hand in two of SRU's flight wins during Friday's match.
Kayla Blackburn won her No. 1 singles match by a 6-0, 6-3 margin and teamed with
Laura Handy to win the No. 1 doubles match by an 8-2 score.
Samantha Blackburn and Hilborn teamed up to win the No. 2 doubles match by an 8-6 score before Blackburn won a 6-0, 6-3 decision in the No. 3 singles match and Hilborn won a 6-3, 6-2 decision in the No. 4 singles match.
Complete results of Friday's semifinal match were as follows:
DOUBLES
No. 1 -- #Kayla Blackburn# /
Laura Handy (SRU) def. Torie Cunningham/Alison Carney (BU), 8-2
No. 2 -- .
Samantha Blackburn /
Jessica Hilborn (SRU) def. Katie Hasyn/Brittani Weeks (BU), 8-6
No. 3 -- Laura Sullivan/Andrea Malatesta (BU) def.
Lara Rizzi /
Chelsea Gibson (SRU), 8-6
SINGLES
No. 1 -- K. Blackburn (SRU) def. Hasyn, 6-0, 6-3
No. 2 -- Cunningham (BU) leading Handy (SRU), 7-5, 5-6, DNF
No. 3 -- S. Blackburn (SRU) def. Carney, 6-0, 6-3
No. 4 -- Hilborn (SRU) def. Weeks, 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 -- Sullivan (BU) leading Gibson, 6-3, 2-5, DNF
No. 6 -- Malatesta (BU) leading Rizzi, 6-4, 3-3, DNF