ITHACA, N.Y. — The 71st-ranked women's tennis tied a program record for most victories in a season and stayed in the Ivy League hunt Sunday by defeating Yale, 5-2, at Reis Tennis Center. The victory improves Cornell to 14-7 overall and 3-2 in league play.
 
With the win, Cornell essentially stays one match behind the leaders in the Ivy League standings. Princeton and Columbia (both 3-1 in Ivy play after Saturday), were both in action a little later Sunday.
 
Yale (8-10, 2-2) started the day by securing the doubles point by winning the final match in a tiebreaker. Cornell countered by winning all but one singles match, starting with dominant straight-set victories at the bottom two positions from sophomore Priyanka Shah and senior Jane Stewart.
 
Junior Alexandra D'Ascenzo was next to wrap up her match from the No. 2 position, then the clinching point for a second straight day came from sophomore Lizzie Stewart at No. 4.
 
The Big Red's 14 victories on the season ties a record previously set in 2013, also under the direction of Mike Stevens, the Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis. The victory was just Cornell's fifth in 36 all-time meetings with Yale.
 
Cornell wraps up its regular season next weekend with a Friday road match at Penn before Senior Day on Sunday against Princeton at Reis Tennis Center.
 
#71 CORNELL 5, YALE 2
Singles
1. Marika Cusick (C) def. Tina Jiang, 6-4, 6-6, retired
2. Alexandra D'Ascenzo (C) def. Ree Ree Li, 7-5, 6-4
3. Sherry Li (Y) def. Mariko Iinuma, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
4. Lizzie Stewart (C) def. Courtney Amos, 7-6, 6-4
5. Priyanka Shah (C) def. Carol Finke, 6-1, 6-2
6. Jane Stewart (C) def. Valeria Shklover, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
1. Madeleine Hamilton/Jiang (Y) def. Cusick/D'Ascenzo, 7-6(5)
2. Shah/L. Stewart (C) def. Finke/R. Li, 6-3
3. S. Li/Shklover (Y) def. Iinuma/Madison Stevens, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1), Singles (5,6,2,4,3,1)
Records: Cornell 14-7, 3-2 Ivy; Yale 8-10, 2-2 Ivy