Sophomore Meryl Lawrence is a combined 17-1 in singles and doubles play entering the spring schedule. |
Skyhawks ranked seventh in ITA East Regional rankings, carries 7-0 record into spring schedule
EASTON, Mass. (February 14, 2013) – Stonehill College has been picked second in the Northeast-10 Conference's women's tennis preseason coaches' poll released by the league today.
Stonehill, ranked seventh in the first ITA East Regional rankings released in December, received five first place votes from the NE-10's 13 head coaches and 134 points. The Skyhawks are just four points behind preseason favorites, fellow reigning NE-10 regular season champions, Southern New Hampshire University with 138 points and the remaining eight first place votes. Southern New Hampshire posted a 5-1 victory over the Skyhawks in the 2012 NE-10 Championship match. Adelphi University, who also earned a share of the 2012 NE-10 regular season championship, is picked third (123 points), with Bentley University fourth (108) and Saint Michael's College rounding out the top five (102).
Stonehill is off to a 7-0 start to its season after the fall schedule, including a 5-0 mark in the Northeast-10. The Skyhawks are seeking a second-straight NE-10 regular season championship after sharing the title in 2011-12 with Southern New Hampshire and Adelphi. Stonehill has earned four straight NCAA Division II Tournament bids and were runners up in the NE-10 Tournament for the third straight year in 2012.
Freshman Bailey Paradiso is ranked 19th in the East Region after going 8-4 at No. 1 singles in the fall. |
Stonehill won six of its seven fall matches by 9-0 score lines, the lone exception a 7-2 victory over Philadelphia University, ranked tenth in the region at the time. The Skyhawks placed sixth out of eight teams at the New England Championships as the lone non-Division I program at the event. Stonehill also had a strong showing at the ITA East Regional in Philadelphia, with several Skyhawks making deep runs in the brackets.
Freshman Bailey Paradiso (Birmingham, Mich./Marian), ranked 19th in the ITA East Regional singles rankings, is a combined 20-7 after the fall season in singles and doubles play. She has earned NE-10 Player of the Week honors twice and NE-10 Rookie of the Week on four occasions. Paradiso has posted an 8-4 singles mark, including a 5-0 record in NE-10 matches, with a 6-1 clip at No. 1 singles during her freshman season to date. Paradiso and senior Paige Frost (Brigantine, N.J./Holy Spirit) have combined to post a 12-3 doubles record, including a 7-0 dual match mark at the top flight and a 5-0 clip in the NE-10.
Frost is a combined 21-6 this season, including a 12-0 clip in NE-10 matches, posting a 9-3 singles mark with a 7-0 record at No. 4 singles. Sophomore Meryl Lawrence (North Scituate, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) is a combined 17-1 in singles and doubles play, posting an 8-1 singles record, 7-0 at No. 2 singles with five NE-10 victories. She and freshman Analise Kump (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) have teamed up to go 9-1 in doubles play, including a 7-0 mark at No. 2 with a 5-0 NE-10 record. Kump is also 9-3 in singles, 7-0 at No. 2, with a 5-0 NE-10 clip.
Stonehill returns to action on Saturday, February 23, when it opens the spring portion of its schedule by hosting College of the Holy Cross in the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex for a non-conference dual match at 6 p.m.
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