Porter & Vo/Howick Earn ITA Regional Rankings


Porter is ranked No. 15 in the final Oracle/ITA East Regional rankings released today. (PHOTO BY Mike Broglio/SportsPix)

Skyhawks receive first individual and doubles regional rankings since 2014

Oracle/ITA Division II East Region rankings

EASTON, Mass. (May 24, 2018) – The Northeast-10 Conference regular season champion Stonehill College women's tennis team, ranked No. 42 in the final Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II national rankings released last week, is ranked No. 4 in the final Oracle/ITA East Region team rankings and has its first regionally-ranked singles and doubles performers in four years.

Freshman Isabelle Porter (Jupiter, Florida/William T. Dwyer) is ranked No. 15 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, marking Stonehill's first individually-ranked student-athlete since Kirsti Toegemann, '16 was ranked 20th during the 2013-14 season. The Skyhawks sophomore doubles tandem of Alexandra Vo (Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania/Nazareth Academy) and Annelise Howick (Jacksonville, Florida/Creekside) are ranked No. 9 in the Oracle/ITA East Region doubles rankings, marking the program's first regionally-ranked doubles pairing since Kaitlyn Martin, '14 and Bailey Paradiso, '16 were ranked tenth at the end of the 2013-14 season.

Porter is the third Stonehill freshman to earn a regional ranking in program history, joining Paradiso and Toegemann, who both accomplished the feat during the 2012-13 season. Porter, an All-NE10 first team performer at No. 3 singles and NE10 All-Rookie Team selection, finished her first collegiate season with a 16-5 record overall, winning all eight of her matches in NE10 regular season play. She was 10-3 at No. 3 singles for the Skyhawks, posting a pair of wins over regionally ranked opposition to finish 2-2.


Vo and Howick are ranked No. 9 in the Oracle/ITA East Regional doubles rankings. (PHOTO BY Brian Ballweg)

Porter reached the third round of the USTA/ITA East Regional back in September, notching a three-set win over current No. 10 Begona Gomar from Wilmington (Del.) University in the first round, before being eliminated by regional top-ranked and No. 41-nationally-ranked Lena Dimmer from NYIT. Porter's second regionally ranked victory secured Stonehill's 5-3 win over No. 48 NYIT in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last month, cruising to a 6-2, 6-0 decision over No. 7 Ivana Andric. Porter and senior Victoria Barbetta (Wesley Chapel, Florida/Saddlebrook Prep) combined to reach the doubles semifinals at the USTA/ITA East Regional, marking the furthest Stonehill student-athletes have advanced at the event.

Vo and Howick are the fourth doubles pairing from Stonehill to earn an Oracle/ITA East Regional ranking, joining Toegemann and Paige Frost, '13, Paradiso/Toegemann and Paradiso/Martin. Vo/Howick earned All-NE10 first team honors at No. 2 doubles for the Skyhawks last fall, moving up to No. 1 doubles as the season wore on. The duo combined for a 13-7 record overall, including 11-1 in the NE10, winning all seven matches at No. 2 doubles. They split two matches against regionally-ranked teams, notching an 8-6 decision against No. 9 Reehan Rashad and Ortega Jover from Queens (N.Y.) College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Stonehill's No. 42 national ranking matches its program-best for the second time this spring, while it finishes ranked No. 4 in the Oracle/ITA East Regional rankings. The Skyhawks finished their season with a 15-5 record overall, including 12-0 in the NE10 to capture its eighth regular season championship and earning its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

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