This has been an impressive year for freshman women's sabreists across the country, so perhaps it's only fitting that two of the most elite – Duke's Becca Ward and Harvard's Caroline Vloka – will meet in the 2009 NCAA women's sabre final (2:00 p.m. today).
Ward dominated the round-robin phase, losing one bout (22-1) with a +77 in total-point indicators and only 37 touches allowed (1.6 per bout). She then defeated 2007 NCAA champion Daria Schneider (Columbia) in the semifinals, 15-9.
Vloka was second in the round-robin (20-3/+53) and went on to defeat St. John's junior Dagmara Wozniak, in a 15-11 semifinal. Wozniak was third in the round-robin (19-4/+57), narrowly edging Schendier (19-4/+56) by one touch. Yet another freshman, Penn State's Monica Aksamit, missed out on a medal-round spot based on indicators (she was 19-4/+7, seven touches back of Schneider).
Friday's men's sabre final also featured two freshmen, with PSU Aleksander Achocki rallying to edge Daryl Homer of St. John's, 15-14.
Schneider and Wozniak combined with their respective teammate for 34 wins in the round-robin, tying for the most of any squad. Penn State was next with 33 women's sabre victories, followed by Notre Dame and Ohio State with 27 each.