Solorzano Valencia, ranked No. 6 in the region, knocked off the region's No. 5-ranked player and was part of a doubles win over the region No. 4 pairing.

Solorzano Valencia leads Skyhawks with hand in two regionally-ranked wins

HOOKSETT, N.H. (April 7, 2021) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 8 in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Region rankings, returned to action after a ten-day layoff and blanked rival Southern New Hampshire University, ranked No. 3 in the region, 4-0 in Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis action at Penmen Stadium Tennis Courts this afternoon. 

Highlights

• Sophomore Cristina Solorzano Valencia, ranked No. 6 in the most recent Oracle/ITA Division II East Region singles rankings, had a hand in two wins over regionally-ranked competition to lead Stonehill to the key NE10 win.
• Junior Emma Markaryan added a singles win for Stonehill and was part of a default win at No. 3 doubles.

How it Happened

• Solorzano Valencia and sophomore Steffi Antao clinched the doubles point for Stonehill with their 7-5 triumph at No. 1 against SNHU junior Alexxa Etienne and sophomore Magdalena Hubickova, the No. 4-ranked doubles pairing in the Oracle/ITA East Region doubles rankings.
• Stonehill picked up a doubles win by default at No. 3 and then senior Isabelle Porter and junior Samantha Ormesher completed a Skyhawks sweep of the doubles matches with their 7-5 decision at No. 2.
• Stonehill also earned a singles point with a default win at No. 6 and then Markaryan pulled the Skyhawks within a point of the match victory with her commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles against SNHU sophomore Mina Houge.

• Markaryan earned a singles win for the Skyhawks at No. 4

  Solorzano Valencia provided the match-clinching point for Stonehill at No. 1 singles against Hubickova, No. 5 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings. Solorzano Valencia claimed the match in a second set tiebreaker (8-6) after winning the first set, 6-3.

Noteworthy

• Markaryan is now 21-2 over her career in NE10 singles matches after today's win. She has posted a career singles record of 30-9, including her 3-1 mark this spring.
• Stonehill has won its last two encounters with rival SNHU since the Penmen halted the Skyhawks 22-match NE10 regular season win streak on October 5, 2019, adding a payback 4-1 victory in the 2019 NE10 Tournament semifinals as well.
• Stonehill has now won six-straight encounters with the Penmen at SNHU and 7-of-8 overall dating back to a 5-4 regular season setback on October 14, 2014.

Up Next

Stonehill (3-2, 3-2 NE10) is scheduled to be back in action on Friday, when it visits Bentley University for an NE10 match being played at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, at 4 p.m. Spectators will not be permitted to attend by the NE10 COVID-19 attendance policies. The Skyhawks next home match is slated for Sunday against Saint Anselm College at noon.

Southern N.H. (4-2, 4-2 NE10) visits Saint Michael's College on Friday at 3 p.m.

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