BY: JUSTIN RIMPI
Sports Editor
November 16, 2018
Junior Natalia Toby will lead FDU’s women’s fencing team once again this season, and she’ll be supported by an incredible group of players this year.
Toby represented the Knights fencing team in the 2018 NCAA Championships for the second straight year. During the championships at Penn State University, Toby finished with an overall record of 8-15. This mark had Toby leave the “Keystone State,” with the 19th best performance in the entire country.
Toby and sophomore Amanda Cilley both finished with 16-2 records in the LIU Invitational in epee and toil respectively.
Epee and toil are two different swords used in the sport of fencing. An epee is heavy while a toil is light and flexible. The third sword that could be used in fencing is saber. The saber is used for both thrusting and cutting.
Another player that will be integral to the team’s success this season is sophomore Amanda Cilley. Both Cilley and Toby had very strong performances on Nov. 4 at the LIU Invitational in Brookville N.Y.
“With our team consisting of three new players, and two of our key players are out with injuries, this season will definitely be a year filled with hard work. We are looking to improve our fencing every match, and to maintain the positive energy that we showed at LIU at our future outings. The expectations I have for our team this season would probably be to always try to put our best fencing out there, and to learn from our losses,” Said Cilley.
Another standout performer at this invitational was Senior Carly Edelman. She was able to post a stellar 12-6 record in foil. When the day was finished, the Knights notched 67 total wins as a team.
“I am very happy with my performance at the LIU Invitational last Sunday. I posted a 16-2 record, and that is my best here at FDU so far. I am proud of my team mates too, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish in the coming weeks,” Said Cilley.
Toby and her teammates will look to represent the Knights once again at the 2019 NCAA Regionals in March, but there is plenty of time left in the season, and none of the players should look too far ahead.
FDU only host one fencing meet a year, this year’s will take place on Feb. 24 in the Rothman Center. This home meet is appropriately dubbed the FDU Invitational.
During last season’s FDU Invitational, Toby put on a masterful performance. Toby finished the day with an exemplary 17-1 record, and the FDU team as a whole finished with a combined record of 25-29. All in all, the 2018 FDU Invitational was a success for the team.
“Our coaching staff, Coach Dan and Coach Alex, are training us to be on the road to regionals, and if we do well there, NCAAs. In fencing, our performance over the season determines if we will qualify for regionals, and only a certain number of girls will qualify for NCAAs from there,” Said Cilley. “Last year, five out of seven of us [Team Members] made it to regionals, and Natalia Toby went on to compete in her second NCAA championships. Our coaches provide us with an insightful and challenging program that is always pushing us to be better versions of ourselves, and I am confident we are on the right track.”
The FDU Fencing team has their next meet on Dec. 1 where they will compete in the Drew Rangers Invitational in Madison N.J.
Head Coach Daniel Bass was unable to be reached for comment on this story.
Photo By: HERO Sports
