Miller earns first NE10 Player of the Week recognition
Mendoza named NE10 Rookie of the Week for first time
Miller earns NE10 Player of the Week honors for the first time. |
EASTON, Mass. (October 9, 2018) – Stonehill College swept the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honors in men's tennis the league announced today.
Junior Samuel Miller has been named the NE10 Player of the Week for the first time, while freshman Luke Mendoza has collected NE10 Rookie of the Week accolades for the first time after the duo led Stonehill to a 9-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in a non-conference dual match and then had a solid day competing at the Connecticut College Invitational in New London, Connecticut, on Saturday.
Miller was a double-winner in Stonehill's 9-0 win at UMass Dartmouth on Thursday and then won the B-singles draw at the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday, finishing with a combined 5-1 record overall, including a 3-0 singles mark. He teamed up with sophomore Russell White for an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles in the win over UMD, before going on to record a 6-1, 6-0 decision at No. 1 singles against Eli Brooks. Miller followed that up by defeating Guillermo Garcia-Rincon from Connecticut College in the B-singles semifinals, 6-3, 6-3 and then edged Merrimack College's Alex Mackay in the final, 8-6. Miller and White also won the consolation final in the B-Doubles bracket, topping Marco Ammirati and Nick Fox from SUNY-Oneonta, 8-3.
Miller |
Mendoza |
Mendoza registered a combined 4-2 record in singles and doubles play for Stonehill for the week. He was also a double-winner in the Skyhawks 9-0 win at UMass Dartmouth, combining with sophomore Joey Conrod for an 8-1 win at No. 2 doubles before cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 decision against Tyler Duncan at No. 6 singles. Mendoza also won a pair of consolation finals at the Connecticut College Invitational over the weekend. He and classmate Juan Camilo Riano Rojas combined to defeat Riley Smith and Jack Clayton from Oneonta in the C-Doubles bracket consolation final. Mendoza also defeated Adam Kopp from the US Coast Guard Academy in the I-singles draw consolation final, 6-1, 6-1.
Miller has posted a combined 13-5 record in singles and doubles play in his first season at Stonehill after transferring from Division I Saint Francis (Pa.) University when it suspended its program for a year in August. He is 6-2 in singles play, including a 2-1 dual match record, splitting a pair of matches at No. 1 singles. Miller is a combined 7-3 in doubles play with two different playing partners. He and White are 2-1 after he teamed up with Riano Rojas for a 5-2 clip, including a pair of dual match victories.
Miller earned the Coaches' Award at Saint Francis following the 2017-18 season, competing at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles. He enjoyed a prolific career at Smithfield High School, where he was a four-time All-State performer, earning Providence Journal All-Scholastic honors.
Mendoza is a combined 10-5 in singles and doubles play during his first collegiate season at Stonehill. He is 4-2 in singles play, including a 3-0 record in dual matches, while posting a 6-3 doubles mark with three different playing partners. Mendoza and Conrod have teamed up to post a 5-1 record overall, winning all three of their outings in dual matches.
Stonehill wrapped up its fall schedule with a 3-0 record overall, which it will carry into the spring season. The remainder of the Skyhawks schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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