Captains Amanda DePasquale, Victoria Barbetta and Janet Haas with the finalist trophy. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Fakas and Serina lead Panthers past Skyhawks
EASTON, Mass. (October 23, 2016) – Sixth-seeded Adelphi University finished off a road sweep of the top three seeds in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament with a 5-4 victory over top-seeded Stonehill College to clinch its second-straight tournament championship at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.
Adelphi (11-4, 8-4 NE-10) captured its second-straight tournament title by defeating the tournament's top three seeds away from homw over a five day span, winning at No. 3 Assumption College (5-3) in Wednesday's first round, before topping second-seeded Southern New Hampshire University (5-1) in Friday's semifinals to reach the final for the third time in four years. Stonehill, which was making its record 11th appearance in the championship match, sees its fall season come to a close with a 12-3 record overall, including 11-1 in the NE-10 to win its seventh NE-10 regular season championship in program history. Adelphi also clinches the NE-10's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament next spring, while the Skyhawks will look to earn an at-large bid.
Adelphi's three All-Tournament team performers led way to victory this afternoon as double-winners. Junior Rebecca Fakas (Little Neck, New York/Benjamin N. Cardozo) was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and picked up two key points for the Panthers at No. 1 singles and doubles. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by sophomores Karen Serina (East Islip, New York/East Islip) and Samantha Perri (Floral Park, New York/Floral Park Memorial). Representing Stonehill on the All-Tournament team were junior Colleen O'Donnell (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) and freshman Alexandra Vo (Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania/Nazareth Academy), while Bentley University's Hannah Fabianski and Southern New Hampshire's Abla Chadli rounded out the selections.
Vo (left) and O'Donnell represent the Skyhawks on the All-Tournament team. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Fakas and Serina clinched a 2-1 Adelphi edge following doubles play by clipping Vo and junior Victoria Barbetta (Wesley Chapel, Florida/Saddlebrook Prep) 9-8 (7-2) at the No. 1 flight. Fakas and Serina then won the final two matches on the courts at No. 1 and 3 singles, respectively, to clinch the title after Stonehill had taken a 4-3 lead. Fakas held off Barbetta 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) at No. 1 singles after Barbetta had rallied from 4-1 down to take a 6-5 lead in the second set, and also fought back from 2-4 down in the tiebreaker before falling. Serina followed that up with the deciding point when she bounced back from a set down to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Stonehill freshman Carolina Alvarez (Orlando, Florida/Freedom) at No. 3.
Perri and junior Elizabeth Kallenberg (Port Washington, New York/Paul D. Schreiber) posted Adelphi's first point with their 8-1 win at No. 2 doubles after Alvarez and freshman Annelise Howick (Jacksonville, Florida/Creekside) had won at No. 3.
Junior Emma Prinos (Foxboro, Massachusetts/Foxboro) made quick work of Adelphi junior Maria Bruzon Gutierrez (San Salvador, El Salvador), 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles to even the match at 2-2, but Perri restored the Panthers lead with an identical score line against Howick at No. 4. Vo and O'Donnell put Stonehill back in front with their wins at No. 2 and No. 5 singles. Vo wrapped up a 6-2, 6-0 win against Kallenberg first, before O'Donnell followed with a 6-4, 6-2 win against junior Vanja Savic (Woodside, New York/Beacon School) to pull the Skyhawks within a point of a sixth tournament championship.
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