MENDON, NY – Defending Empire 8 Conference champion St. John Fisher College defeated the Hartwick College women's tennis team by a final score of 8-1 on Saturday at Mendon Racquet and Pool Club in Mendon, NY in the season opener for both squads. The Hawks, who were playing in their first match in 364 days, received a victory in first singles from freshman Jade Killikelly (Jamaica, NY/The Mary Louis Academy).
           
Killikelly, playing in her first collegiate singles match, took the opening set against St. John Fisher's Mikayla Santulli, 6-2. Santulli evened things after grabbing the second set, 7-5, to set up a match-deciding super tie-breaker in the third set. Killikelly outlasted Santulli by a count of 12-10 to claim the victory for the Hawks.
           
Junior Victoria Wilson (Trenton, NY/Trenton Catholic) took five games in the second flight from the Cardinals' Kathryn Strait in a 6-3, 6-2 match.
           
Hartwick returns to action next Saturday at Nazareth College. The Hawks have a pair of Empire 8 matches against the host Flyers at noon and the Russell Sage Gators at 3 p.m.
           
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