Women's Tennis Makes 10th NCAA Appearance Against Concordia on Saturday


Senior captain Analise Kump leads the Skyhawks to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Sixth-seeded Skyhawks and third-seeded Clippers square off for first time since 2012 East Regional

EASTON, Mass. (May 6, 2016) – Sixth-seeded Stonehill College makes its tenth NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday when it battles third-seeded Concordia (N.Y.) College in first round action of the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament's East Regional, hosted by second-seeded Queens (N.Y.) College at 10 a.m.

The winner of tomorrow morning's first round match will advance to Sunday's second round against host Queens (16-3, 6-1 ECC), ranked 45th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II rankings, at 10 a.m., for the right to play for a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships in Denver, Colorado, hosted by Metro State University, May 18-21. Top-seeded and No. 40-ranked New York Institute of Technology (19-6, 7-0 ECC), the East Coast Conference (ECC) champions is hosting the other East Regional bracket on Monday and Tuesday, May 9-10, and await the winner of a first round match between fourth-seeded Adelphi University (16-1, 12-0 NE-10), the Northeast-10 Conference Champions, and fifth-seeded Chestnut Hill College (14-9, 6-1 CACC).

Stonehill (15-9, 10-2 NE-10), ranked sixth in the ITA East Regional rankings, is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance under second year head coach Marc Maloney (28-17/.622) and tenth in program history overall. The Skyhawks reached the NCAA Championships in 2009 and have been in the NCAA Tournament seven of the eight years since. The Skyhawks enter the NCAA Tournament winners of its last two matches against NCAA Division I competition, after a 4-3 decision at University of Hartford on April 17. Stonehill advanced to the Northeast-10 Championship match for the sixth time in the last seven years last fall.

Seniors Analise Kump (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth), Bailey Paradiso (Birmingham, Michigan/Marian) and Kirsti Toegemann (Narragansett, Rhode Island/The Lincoln School) lead Stonehill into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in their careers. Kump, a five-time All-Northeast-10 Conference performer is a combined 27-12 in singles and doubles play this season, having posted a 12-4 singles record, including 9-1 in NE-10 matches, to go with a 15-8 doubles mark with three different playing partners, notching a 7-2 record in NE-10 play. Paradiso will line up tomorrow at No. 1 singles, while Toegemann competes at No. 2 singles.


Sophomore Victoria Barbetta is a combined 39-10 in singles and doubles play this season.

Sophomore Victoria Barbetta (Wesley Chapel, Florida/Saddlebrook Prep), a first team All-Northeast-10 performer at No. 3 singles and second team All-NE-10 doubles partner for Kump at No. 2, is a combined 39-10 this season, having posted a 22-3 singles record, including an 11-0 clip in NE-10 matches last fall. She is 17-7 in doubles play with three different playing partners. Freshman Nicole Downey (Groveland, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional), an All-NE-10 third team performer and All-Rookie Team selection, is 34-10 in singles and doubles play in her first collegiate season. She has posted a 20-4 singles mark, including 7-1 in NE-10 matches, to go with a 14-6 doubles record with five different partners, including 9-1 in NE-10 play. Sophomore Emma Prinos (Foxborough, Massachusetts/Foxborough), who earned first team All-NE-10 honors last fall at No. 4, rounds out the Skyhawks singles lineup with a 13-7 singles record, including 8-1 in NE-10 contests.

Concordia (10-6, 7-0 CACC) enters the postseason having dropped all six of its spring matches – four to nationally-ranked squads and one against Division I opposition. The Clippers captured a seventh-straight CACC Championship last fall, sweeping the regular season and tournament titles. Junior Costanza Mecchi (Rome, Italy), the top-ranked player in the region by the ITA and No. 23 overall in Division II, leads the way for the Clippers. She is a combined 25-6 in singles and doubles play this season, posting a 12-4 singles record and a 13-2 doubles mark with two different partners. She and junior Stefanie Canals-Baker (Pollensa, Spain) have formed the third-ranked doubles team in the region despite losing their only two matches paired together. Canals-Baker is 9-2 in singles play this year.

Senior Linda Eliasson (Gothenburg, Sweden) is the eighth-ranked singles player in the East Region by the ITA and has posted a combined 16-4 record in singles and doubles play this season. She has a 9-3 singles mark to go with a 7-1 doubles record with two different partners. Eliasson and freshman Kaja Tegtmeier (Oldenburg, Germany) are the ninth-ranked doubles team in the region, with a 4-2 record. Tegtmeier is also 12-3 in singles play in her first collegiate season. 

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2016 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis
East Regional #2

Hosted by Queens (N.Y.) College

Saturday, May 7
#6 Stonehill (15-9, 10-2 NE-10) vs. #3 Concordia (10-6, 7-0 CACC), 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 8
#2 Queens (16-3, 6-1 ECC) vs. #6 Stonehill/#3 Concordia, 10 a.m.