GENEVA, N.Y.--The fourth-seeded William Smith tennis team split a pair of matches on the first day of the Liberty League Tournament, defeating No. 5 Rensselaer 9-0 before falling to top-seeded Skidmore 5-1.

At the HWS Tennis Center, the Herons dropped a combined total of just three games in securing all three doubles points against the Red Hawks (5-4). In singles play, Chelsea Rauck, Amanda Slack, Shari Damon, Melissa Slack, Gaby Berkman, and Erinn Cain all won in straight sets.

An afternoon thunderstorm forced William Smith inside Bristol Field House for its match against Skidmore. The first doubles team of Rauck and Damon (ranked 15th in the Northeast by the ITA) earned the lone point for the Herons, defeating Dani Fancher and Rachel Loeb (16th) 8-4.

The Herons (11-6) will face No. 3 St. Lawrence in the third place match on April 27, at noon. Weather permitting the match will be played at the HWS Tennis Center. Inclement weather would force the match into Bristol Field House.

Skidmore will play second seeded Vassar in the championship match at 9 a.m.