Porter, Solorzano Valencia and Ormesher lead Skyhawks past New Haven for 25th-straight NE10 regular season win
Porter paced the Skyhawks with wins at No. 1 singles and doubles (PHOTO BY Denise Archetto) |
EASTON, Mass. (September 5, 2019) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 4 in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional rankings, opened defense of its three straight Northeast-10 Conference regular season championships with a commanding 7-0 triumph over the University of New Haven in NE10 women's tennis action at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.
Junior Isabelle Porter, sophomore Samantha Ormesher and freshman Cristina Solorzano Valencia were all double-winners to lead Stonehill in Hall of Fame head coach Pam Arpé's return. The win marks the Skyhawks 25th-straight NE10 regular season win dating back to October, 2016, as they look to capture a fourth-straight NE10 regular season championship this fall.
Porter and classmate Bethany Hammond, ranked ninth in the Oracle/ITA East Region doubles rankings, completed a sweep of the three doubles matches by grinding out a 7-5 win at No. 1. Solorzano Valencia and senior tri-captain Annelise Howick clinched the doubles point for Stonehill, rallying for a 6-3 win after dropping the first three games. Ormesher and senior tri-captain Caroline Ray rolled to a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles.
Solorzano Valencia was a double-winner in her collegiate debut (PHOTO BY Denise Archetto) |
Ormesher followed that up by claiming Stonehill's first singles point, cruising past New Haven freshman Katherine MacPhail, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6 singles. Porter and Solorzano Valencia both posted 6-1, 6-1 triumphs at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, to sew up the match win for the Skyhawks. Porter, ranked No. 13 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, breezed past junior Stephanie Gonzalez, while Solorzano finished off an impressive collegiate debut with her match-clinching win over sophomore Nicole Mika.
Senior tri-captain Alexandra Vo, ranked No. 15 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, rolled to a straight-sets win at No. 3 singles to improve to 33-0 in NE10 singles matches over her career. Freshman Steffi Antao battled from a set down to win in her collegiate debut at No. 4 singles, while sophomore Emma Markaryan picked up a win at No. 5 singles for the Skyhawks.
Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE10) is off until next weekend, when it competes at the USTA/ITA Division II East Regionals at the Billie Jean King/USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, Friday through Saturday, September 13-16. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, September 21, for an NE10 matchup with Assumption College at noon. New Haven (0-1, 0-1 NE10) visits Post University tomorrow at 4 p.m.
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