OFFICIAL PHOTO GALLERY OF 2017 CACC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. (October 21, 2017) -- Goldey-Beacom College made it two titles in a row on Saturday, as the top-seeded Lightning had to fend on a valiant effort by third-seeded Wilmington University before ultimately earning a narrow 5-3 win in the 2017 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship. It marked the second time in as many seasons G-B found itself at the top of the mountain, as the Lightning claimed the conference crown in 2016 for the first time in program history. Saturday's championship final was staged at the Edgewood Bath & Tennis Club in Middlebury, Conn., and was hosted by Post University.

It came down to the final two singles matches (#3 singles & #5 singles) before the outcome was officially decided. After winning the first set, 6-3, No. 5 Alma Garcia Valle found herself trailing, 5-2, in set two to Wilmington's Andrea Ribalta, but she won the final five points to win in straight sets and be the fifth and championship clinching point for the Lightning.

While her match was concluding, Goldey-Beacom's Anna Hortelano Pey was up, 5-1, in the third set of her match and nearly pulled off the championship clinching point for Goldey-Beacom.

Goldey-Beacom also got wins at the No. 1 (Lotte Lesscher Y Post) and No. 2 (Catarina Zheng) singles spots to help sure up the championship. 

Wilmington was victorious in singles matches four and six. Tess Paya won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 6, while Anushka Sathe was victorious at No. 4 in straight sets by margins of 6-3, 6-3.

Goldey-Beacom won the first two doubles matches at No. 1 and No. 3, but WilmU made things interesting with a win at the No. 2 spot to only trail 2-1 entering singles action. 

Lesscher Y Post and Zheng teamed up at the No. 1 doubles spot to give Goldey-Beacom a win, as the former was named the most valuable player of the championship and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. She was undefeated in doubles play (2-0) and 1-0 in singles action. She was leading her singles match versus 2017 CACC Player of the Year Karla Miletic (University of the Sciences) on Saturday before the match was called after the Lighning claimed their fifth team point.

The 2017 CACC Women's Tennis All-Tournament Team included:
Angelica Karlsson Hantzis (Concordia College)
Tess Paya (Wilmington University)
Anushka Sathe (Wilmington University)
Lotte Lesscher Y Post (Goldey-Beacom College)
Catarina Zheng (Goldey-Beacom College)
Anna Hortelano Pey (Goldey-Beacom College)
Alma Garcia Valle (Goldey-Beacom College)
MVP: Lotte Lesscher Y Post (Goldey-Beacom College)

ABOUT THE CACC
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Thomas Jefferson University, Nyack College, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.