Bleakney Notches Singles Victory, Granato And Dircks Team Up For Doubles Triumph As Fourth Seeded Women's Tennis Closes Out 2007 Campaign With 5-2 Northeast-10 Semi-Final Setback To Top Seeded Saint Michael's

April 21, 2007

STONEHILL WOMEN'S TENNIS

2007 Northeast-10 Conference Semi-Finals

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Stonehill Courts, Easton, Mass.

MATCH #1 FINAL: SAINT MICHAEL'S 5, STONEHILL 2

Singles Results

2 Lindsay Horne (STM) def. Elise Clark (STO) 6-2, 6-0

3 Cailie Burns (STM) def. Lauren Rowinski (STO) 6-2, 6-3

5 Allison Bleakney (STO) def. Megan Conway (STM) 6-1, 6-1

6 Catherine Dalton (STM) def. Jessica Schaaf (STO) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles Results

1 Daniella Granato/Samantha Dircks (STO) def. Burns/Conway (STM) 8-6

2 Horne/Cara Bednar (STM) def. Clark/Rowinski (STO) 8-1

3 Jackie Smullen/Liz Clemente (STM) def. Bleakney/Sara Rayworth (STO) 8-1

Records Stonehill 12-7

Saint Michael's 14-6

MATCH #2 FINAL: BRYANT 5, BENTLEY 4

Singles Results

1 Sacha Solomon (BRY) def. Heather Haggerty (BEN) 6-3, 6-1

2 Annette Jervasi (BRY) def. Kelly Fleszar (BEN) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

3 Kelly Nugent (BEN) def. Michelle Burke (BRY) 6-1, 6-1

4 Marcia Gilbride (BEN) def. Kristen Swanson (BRY) 7-5, 6-1

5 Lauren Mullen (BRY) def. Rachel Harbert (BEN) 6-0, 6-0

6 Andrea Hollot (BEN) def. Heather Fedesco (BRY) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles Results

1 Solomon/Jervasi (BRY) def. Haggerty/Katherine Giambalvo (BEN) 8-1

2 Fleszar/Nugent (BEN) def. Mullen/Burke (BRY) 8-5

3 Swanson/Shea Crosby (BRY) def. Gilbride/Harbert (BEN) 8-6

Records Bentley 14-10

Bryant 13-5

EASTON, Mass.-- Top-seeded Saint Michael's and third-seeded and three-time defending tournament champion Bryant will play for the 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Tennis Championship on Sunday morning after advancing with respective league semi-final round match triumphs Saturday on the Stonehill Courts. Saint Michael's advanced with a 5-2 victory over fourth-seeded Stonehill in the first semi-final of the day, while Bryant advanced to the title match for the fourth straight season with a 5-4 win over second-seeded Bentley.

Freshman Lindsay Horne (Scituate, Mass.) was a winner in both singles and doubles play in the first match for the Purple Knights (14-6), as she posted a straight set triumph at number two singles and teamed with senior Cara Bednar (Marblehead, Mass.) for an 8-1 win at number two doubles. Senior Cailie Burns (Chepachet, R.I.) and freshman Catherine Dalton (Easton, Mass.) were also straight set winners at the numbers three and six singles spots, respectively, for Saint Michael's, while the tandem of senior Liz Clemente (Latham, N.Y.) and freshman Jackie Smullen (South Burlington, Vt.) accounted for the other Purple Knight point with an 8-1 win at number three doubles.

Junior Allison Bleakney (Lewiston, Maine) posted a straight set win at number five singles in the setback for the host Skyhawks, who finish the season at 12-7 overall, while junior Daniella Granato (Concord, Mass.) and freshman Samantha Dircks (Stony Brook, N.Y.) notched an 8-6 triumph at the number one doubles position for Stonehill.

Senior Annette Jervasi (Colchester, Conn.) posted the deciding point in the second semi-final match for Bryant (13-5), as she posted a three-set win at number two singles spot to lift the Bulldogs into the title contest. Fellow senior Sacha Solomon (Bourne, Mass.) added a straight set win at number one singles and teamed up with Jervasi for an 8-1 triumph at number one doubles for Bryant, which also received a straight-set win at number five singles from senior Lauren Mullen (Braintree, Mass.) as well an 8-6 victory at the number three doubles spot from sophomore Shea Crosby (Guilford, Conn.) and freshman Kristen Swanson (West Newbury, Mass.).

Junior Kelly Nugent (Lynnfield, Mass.) was a double-winner in the setback for Bentley, which ends its season at 14-10 overall, as she posted a straight-set triumph at number three singles and teamed with freshman Kelly Fleszar (Larchmont, N.Y.) for an 8-5 win at number two doubles. Sophomores Marcia Gilbride (Topsham, Maine) and Andrea Hollot (Easthampton, Mass.) were straight set singles winners as well for the Falcons at the numbers four and six spots, respectively.

Sunday's title match will begin at 11:00 a.m. on the Stonehill Courts. Bryant won the 2006 crown with a 5-4 triumph over Stonehill.

Three individuals earned all-Northeast-10 accolades for their performances in singles play for Stonehill in league awards announced earlier today, as Bleakney earned second-team all-conference honors at number five singles and was joined by Dircks and freshman Lauren Rowinski (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), who earned third team all-league accolades at the numbers four and three singles positions, respectively. Rowinski and junior Elise Clark (Spring Lake, N.J.) earned third team all-Northeast-10 honors in doubles play at the number two position for the Skyhawks as well.