HEMPFIELD, Pa. – For the second straight season, Penn State Harrisburg's women's tennis team defeated conference foe St. Mary's (Md.) to capture the United East Championship on Sunday afternoon. The Lions defeated the top-seeded Seahawks 4-0 to claim the program's fourth conference title and earn an automatic berth in the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.


For her efforts in winning the match-clinching singles contest, Penn State Harrisburg's Breanna DeSantis was named the United East Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP).


Penn State Harrisburg (15-7) won a pair of doubles matches to secure the overall point and take an early lead, with Anita Liu and Sarah Shaub besting Giselle Harris and Sarah Levit 6-2 in the No. 2 contest and Hailey Dey and Carissa Fallon topping Lauren Lovejoy and Stella Manns 6-1 in the No. 3 matchup. Allison Wootton and DeSantis were leading 4-3 over Cleo Solomon and Amber Manspeaker when the top doubles match was halted.


Liu secured the first win of singles action with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Levit in the No. 3 contest before Shaub went over Lovejoy 6-3, 7-5 in the No. 5 outing. DeSantis proved the deciding win, besting Manspeaker 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) in a three-set battle to clinch back-to-back conference championships for the program.


When the match was decided, Wootton was leading her No. 1 showdown with Solomon 4-6, 6-2, 4-3, Dey was ahead of Harris 6-4, 1-6, 4-3 in the No. 4 contest and Fallon was in her third set with Wilson in the No. 6 matchup.


The Lions will learn their first NCAA Tournament opponent on Monday, May 5. First round action is set to begin next weekend.


Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg men's and women's tennis all season long on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) by following the Lions using the handle @pshbgtennis.