Saint Joseph, Michigan, freshman leads Skyhawks to key NE-10 win

Northeast-10 Men's Tennis Weekly Report

EASTON, Mass. (April 9, 2015) – Stonehill College freshman Thomas Bellio (Saint Joseph, Michigan/Saint Joseph) has been named the Northeast-10 Conference's Men's Tennis Rookie of the Week for the fourth time by the league office.

Bellio, who has earned Rookie of the Week honors two of the last three weeks to go with a pair of awards during the fall season, received the accolades after leading Stonehill to a 7-2 win over rival Bentley University as a double-winner in its lone match of the week. He combined with classmate Nikolay Lisichenok (Danvers, Massachusetts/Danvers) for an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles as Stonehill won two of the three doubles matches over the regionally-ranked Falcons in the win. Bellio followed that up with a 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 1 singles against Bentley freshman Brendan McCarthy.

Bellio is a combined 20-8 for Stonehill during his first collegiate season, posting an 8-6 mark in singles play and a combined 12-4 doubles record with two different playing partners. He is 8-3 overall this year for singles in dual match play, including a 3-1 clip in Northeast-10 play, to go with a 9-4 doubles record with Lisichenok, posting a 4-1 NE-10 record. Bellio was also recognized for his work in the classroom with a spot on both the Northeast-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and Athletic Director's Honor Roll at Stonehill following the fall semester.

Stonehill (10-4, 5-1 NE-10), ranked ninth in the first NCAA Division II East Regional rankings of the season released today, is back in action on Thursday when it hosts Assumption College for an NE-10 match at the Brown-Billone Tennis Club in Easton at 6:30 p.m. The Skyhawks will travel to Saint Michael's College on Saturday for a match at The EDGE in South Burlington, Vermont, at noon and then host University of the Sciences in Philadelphia on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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