Morelia, Mexico, freshman earns NE10 weekly honors for first time after standout opening two weeks to collegiate career
EASTON, Mass. (September 18, 2019) – Stonehill College freshman Cristina Solorzano Valencia has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week for women's tennis after an outstanding opening two weeks to her collegiate career, the league announced.
Solorzano Valencia was honored after posting a combined record of 9-2 in singles and doubles play over the first two weeks of her collegiate career for Stonehill. She was a double-winner in the Skyhawks season-opening 7-0 win over the University of New Haven on September 5 in her collegiate debut. She teamed up with senior Annelise Howick for a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles, before rolling to a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles against Nicole Mika.
Solorzano Valencia followed that up by making deeps runs at the USTA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional singles and doubles championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in Flushing, New York, this past weekend. Solorzano Valencia and Howick became just the second doubles pairing in program history to reach the semifinals, knocking off the overall top seed in the Round of 16, 8-5, before defeating teammates senior Isabelle Porter and freshman Steffi Antao, the No. 6 seed in the quarterfinals, 8-4 in the quarterfinals.
Solorzano Valencia also reached the quarterfinals of the women's singles championship, also matching a program-best, along with senior Alexandra Vo. She posted wins over fifth-seeded Angelika Hantzis from Concordia (N.Y.) College, 6-0, 6-1 in the Round of 16, before being edged by the No. 2-seed in a third set tiebreaker in the quarterfinals.
Solorzano Valencia has posted a 4-1 singles record so far in her first collegiate season at Stonehill, to go with a 5-1 doubles record with Howick.
Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE10), ranked No. 4 in the most recent Oracle/ITA Division II East Region rankings, is back in action on Saturday, when it hosts Assumption College for an NE10 dual match at Charles Watt Tennis Courts at noon.
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