Solorzano Valencia is ranked No. 4 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, the highest singles ranking in program history (PHOTO BY Doug Monson/Stonehill Athletics) |
Skyhawks ranked No. 2 in East rankings, while Solorzano Valencia and Antao also regionally ranked in singles and doubles
Oracle/ITA Division II Final National and Regional Rankings
EASTON, Mass. (June 10, 2021) – The Stonehill College women's tennis program is well represented in the final spring regular season Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional rankings the organization has announced.
Stonehill, which finished its spring season with an 11-4 record overall, including 8-2 in the Northeast-10 Conference, is ranked No. 2 in the final Oracle/ITA Division II East Region rankings. The Skyhawks reached the NE10 Championship match for the seventh-straight year and earned its 15th NCAA Tournament bid this spring. Stonehill was seeded fourth in the NCAA East Regional and knocked off top-seeded and then No. 28 nationally-ranked Concordia (N.Y.) College in the first round, before being edged by second-seeded and No. 48 Franklin Pierce University in the regional final. The Skyhawks finished third in the NE10 regular season standings before making its run to the NE10 Championship match and NCAA Tournament.
Solorzano Valencia |
Antao |
Stonehill also has one doubles pairing and two of its student-athletes ranked in the final Oracle/ITA Division II East Rankings of the spring. Sophomores Cristina Solorzano Valencia and Steffi Antao both earned regional singles and doubles rankings, with the duo combining to be ranked No. 3 in the regional doubles rankings, marking the highest doubles ranking in program history. Solorzano Valencia has moved up two spots from her previous singles regional ranking to No. 4 in the final spring Oracle/ITA East Region rankings, marking the highest singles ranking for a Skyhawk in program history, while Antao makes her regional ranking debut at No. 10.
Solorzano Valencia, a third team All-NE10 selection at No. 1 singes for Stonehill this spring, posted a combined 18-4 record in singles and doubles play. She finished with a 9-1 singles mark, winning her last eight decisions, including 5-1 in the NE10, winning all four of her decisions against regionally-ranked opponents, including a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (9-7) triumph over Concordia's Ebba Rosberg, then No. 13 in the Oracle/ITA Division II national singles rankings, and ranked No. 2 in the final regular season regional rankings. Solorzano Valencia also posted a 9-3 doubles record, including 7-3 in the NE10, with two different playing partners.
Solorzano Valencia and Antao finished 8-2 this spring, including 6-2 in the NE10, with a 3-1 record against regionally-ranked pairings, winning their last eight decisions of the season. The duo knocked off a pair of regionally-ranked doubles pairings in the NCAA Tournament and led two matches in the NE10 Tournament against regionally-ranked opponents when doubles play was halted.
Antao posted a combined 15-7 record in singles and doubles play this spring, including her 9-3 doubles record with two different playing partners. She finished 6-4 in her singles matches, including a 4-2 mark in the NE10.
Antao is ranked No. 10 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, while she and Solorzano Valencia are ranked No. 3 in doubles - the highest doubles rank in program history (PHOTO BY Doug Monson/Stonehill Athletics) |
Solorzano Valencia, who reached the semifinals of the 2019 USTA/ITA Division II East Regional Doubles Championships with former partner Annelise Howick, '20 and quarterfinals of the singles championship, is now a three-time All-NE10 performer over her two seasons at Stonehill. She earned second team honors at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles (with Howick) in 2019 and is a two-time NE10 All-Championships team selection. She is a three-time NE10 Player of the Week, including picking up the honors in back-to-back weeks this spring, and three-time NE10 Rookie of the Week as a freshman, earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2019 as well. She enters her junior year with a 47-11 combined overall record in singles and doubles play so far over her career, including a 22-4 singles record (13-3 NE10) and 25-7 doubles mark (15-5 NE10).
Antao earned All-NE10 first team honors at No. 3 singles and third team accolades at No. 3 doubles, with former teammate Caroline Ray, '20, as a freshman, also being named to the NE10 All-Rookie Team. She combined with recent graduate Isabelle Porter to reach the quarterfinals of the 2019 USTA/ITA Division II East Region Doubles Championship, before being defeated by Solorzano Valencia and Howick. Antao enters her junior year with a career combined record of 36-14 in singles and doubles play, including an 17-8 singles record (13-2 NE10) and 19-6 mark in doubles play (11-4 NE10).
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