Box score
 
CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 7, 2018) – When freshman Morgan Dempsey completed her marathon comeback victory at fifth singles here Sunday, she not only helped the Rutgers University-Camden women's tennis team post a narrow 5-4 win over Ursinus College, but she also helped the Scarlet Raptors wrap up one of the finest semesters in program history.
 
Rutgers-Camden finished the fall season with an 8-1 record for an .889 winning percentage, second only to the 11-1 (.917) campaign back in 1985, two years before the program was suspended. Since the program was restarted during the 2011-12 scholastic year, only the 2012-13 and 2013-14 teams posted more victories than this year's squad, but both of those teams played 16 matches, going 10-6 each season.
 
This year's team became the first Raptor squad since the program's rebirth to place second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, compiling a 5-1 mark to set an all-time program-record for NJAC victories.
 
The Scarlet Raptors also closed out their fall semester with seven straight wins as they wait to add to their historic season with eight scheduled matches in the spring. Their next match is March 31, when they host Stevenson University.
 
Dempsey's win at fifth singles broke the 4-4 team tie, and she did it the hard way. After losing the first set by a 6-2 score, she roared back to win the net two sets, 6-2, 6-1, to close out the match.
 
Rutgers-Camden, like Dempsey, rallied from a deficit they built after dropping two of the three doubles matches. At first doubles, freshman LeAnne Hall and junior Aubrey Hawn lost to their Ursinus opponents, 8-3. Junior Danielle Lemma and freshman Tiffany Trivers took a narrow 8-7 (7-4) win at second doubles, while Dempsey(pictured above) and freshman Hannah Cohan dropped an 8-1 decision at third doubles.
 
Rutgers-Camden pulled out the win by capturing four of the six singles matches. In addition to Dempsey's win at fifth singles, Hawn won at first singles (6-2, 6-4), Trivers captured a victory at third singles (6-2, 6-3) and Hall earned a win in the fourth spot (6-2, 6-4). Lemma dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision at second singles and Cohan was defeated, 6-1, 6-1, in the sixth spot.
 
Trivers finished the season with an 8-1 record in singles, including a 7-1 mark at the second spot and a 1-0 record at first singles. Hall was 7-2 in singles (6-2 fourth singles and 1-0 from the third spot). Hawn went 6-2, including 6-1 in dual play at first singles and 0-1 in tournament play. Dempsey was 5-3 in singles (4-3 fifth and 1-0 fourth).
 
Leading the way in doubles was the combination of Lemma and Trivers, who were 7-3 overall (5-0 second doubles, 2—2 first doubles and 0-1 in tournament action). Hall and Hawn combined for a 6-2 doubles mark, including 4-1 in the top spot and 2-1 in second doubles.
 
In terms of single-season records, the seven doubles victories with the same partner placed Lemma and Trivers fourth on the program's all-time list, while the six by Hall and Hawn tied for fifth.
 
Lemma also took another step up the career list with her 15th doubles victory, moving into fourth place in program history. Combined with her 16 career singles wins, she now owns 31 combined victories, good for fifth place in program history, and moving to within five wins of a tie for fourth place with Avery Forte (2012-14).