NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's tennis team defeated Bard College, 5-2, on Saturday to earn their second consecutive Skyline Championship and a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Knights finish the fall season at 12-2 and will compete at the NCAAs in May.

The championship match turned on a gutsy service game by junior Annie Llewellyn (Brookhaven, N.Y.) at first doubles. With the match tied at 7-7, Llewellyn fended off three break points and eventually held serve to make the score, 8-7. Teamed with sophomore Gabriela Murphy-Goldberg (Newburgh, N.Y.), they would break serve in the next game to take a 9-7 victory.

The point at first doubles gave the Knights a 2-1 advantage headed into the singles competition. Sophomores Emily Gregory (Albertson, N.Y.) and Jen Gregory (Albertson, N.Y.) held on for an 8-6 win at third doubles to claim the first point of the afternoon for the Mount. The Gregorys trailed 5-4 at one point before rallying for the victory.

Murphy-Goldberg came through at first singles (6-2, 6-1) and Jen Gregory took her match at sixth singles (6-0, 6-2) to put the Knights on the brink of clinching the match. Bard nabbed a point at fourth singles to make it 4-2, but the Raptors would get no closer. Emily Gregory clinched the match for the Knights with an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win at fifth singles.

Bard led in the other two singles matches as the final point was clinched. Mount senior Lindsay Searle (Farmington, Conn.) was playing very well in the second position, despite being down a set and 5-1. The same was true of freshman Jaimee Lubniewski (Middletown, N.Y.) who seemed poised to rally out of a first set hole. She trailed 5-6 in the second set.

Searle and fellow senior Laura Galante (Newington, Conn.) were honored before the match in a senior ceremony.

The Knights will compete in the NCAA Tournament at a site to be determined in May.