Freshman Nicole Downey became the third Stonehill women's player to win the B-Singles final at the ITA East Regional. |
Groveland, Massachusetts, freshman is third Skyhawk to win B-Singles
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (September 22, 2015) – Stonehill College freshman Nicole Downey (Groveland, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional) won the B-singles bracket to lead Stonehill College at the United State Tennis Association (USTA)/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional, hosted by University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, at Legacy Tennis Center this weekend.
Downey is the third Stonehill women's tennis player to win the B-draw at the ITA East Regional and the first since Paige Frost '13 won the bracket as a sophomore in 2010. Downey capped the weekend with a dominant 8-1 victory over Merel Ann van Zanten from Goldey-Beacom College in the final. Downey reached the final with a 6-4 victory against University of Sciences' Abbygail Gamarnik in the semifinals after posting a 6-2 decision over Merrimack College's Lauren Persson in the quarterfinals. Downey opened the weekend with an 8-4 first round win over Post University's Jessica Bergen, followed by a 6-3 win against Southern New Hampshire University's Lindsay Baum in the second round. She defeated sophomore teammate Janet Haas (Northbridge, Massachusetts/Northbridge) 6-2 in the third round.
Haas' third round defeat to Downey marked a strong performance for her as she claimed a first round win against Jacqueline Clyne from Holy Family University in the first round of the B-singles draw. She followed that up with a 6-2 win against Delaney Fragale from Daemen College in the second round.
Sophomore Victoria Barbetta made deep runs in the A-Championship for both singles and doubles this weekend. |
Haas and freshman Courtenay Cavett (Plano, Texas/Ursuline Academy of Dallas) advanced to the second round of the B-Doubles bracket. They opened with an 8-0 shutout of USciences' Sara Skoritowski and Alexus Rivan before being edged by Mackenzie Blair and Danielle Dunn from Merrimack, 8-4.
Stonehill's doubles pairing of senior co-captain Analise Kump (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and sophomore Victoria Barbetta (Wesley Chapel, Florida/Saddlebrook Prep) made a deep run in the A-Doubles Championship. They fell in the quarterfinal round with an 8-2 decision to Alessia Rossetti and Justyna Krol from New York Tech. The Skyhawks duo opened with an 8-2 win over Madison Young and Brianna Miah from Post in the first round and then rolled to an 8-1 victory against USciences' Gamarnik and Victoria Quang.
Barbetta also reached the A-Singles Championship third round before falling to Alessia Rossetti, the 28th-ranked singles player nationally in Division II by the ITA, from New York Tech, 6-1, 6-3. Barbetta opened the tournament with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Queens College's Line Sorsdahl Aasen, before defeating Merrimack's Chealsey Giatrelis 0-6, 6-4, 16-14 in an outstanding second round match.
Senior co-captain Bailey Paradiso (Birmingham, Michigan/Marian) received a first round bye in the A-Singles Championship, but was edged by Concordia (N.Y.) College's Stefanie Canals-Blake in the second round.
Stonehill Results:
A-Singles Bracket:
Bailey Paradiso
Def. by Stefanie Canals-Bake (Concordia (N.Y.)) 6-4, 6-3 – Second Round
Victoria Barbetta
Def. Line Sorsdahl Aasen (Queens) 6-2, 6-0 – First Round
Def. Chealsey Giatrelis (Merrimack) 0-6, 6-4, 16-14 – Second Round
Def. by #28 Alessia Rossetti (NYIT) 6-1, 6-3 – Third Round
A-Doubles Bracket:
Kirsti Toegemann/Nicole Downey
Def. by Ashley Loft/Nour Kaddour (Southern N.H.) 9-7 – First Round
Bailey Paradiso/Emma Prinos
Def. by Grace Messina/Chealsey Giatrelis (Merrimack) 8-1 – First Round
Analise Kump/Victoria Barbetta
Def. Madison Young/Brianna Miah (Post) 8-2 – First Round
Def. Abbygail Gamarnik/Victoria Quang (USciences) 8-1 – Second Round
Def. by Alessa Rossetti/Justyna Krol (NYIT) 8-2 – Third Round
B-Singles Bracket:
Nicole Downey
Def. Jessica Bergen (Post) 8-4 – First Round
Def. Lindsay Baum (Southern N.H.) 6-3 – Second Round
Def. Janet Haas (Stonehill) 6-2 – Third Round
Def. Lauren Persson (Merrimack) 6-2 - Quarterfinal
Def. Abbygail Gamarnik (USciences) 6-4 - Semifinal
Def. Merel Ann van Zanten (Goldey-Beacom) - Final
Janet Haas
Def. Jacqueline Clyne (Holy Family) 8-1 – First Round
Def. Delaney Fragale (Daemen) 6-2 – Second Round
Def. by Nicole Downey (Stonehill) 6-2 – Third Round
Emma Prinos
Def. by Nakia Miller (Queens) 8-6 – First Round
Def. by Elkanah Linder (USciences) 8-6 – First Round
B-Doubles Bracket:
Janet Haas/Courtenay Cavett
Def. Sara Skoritowski/Alexus Rivas (USciences) 8-0 – First Round
Def. by Mackenzie Blair/Danielle Dunn (Merrimack) 8-4 – Second Round
Stonehill (3-2, 2-1 NE-10), ranked sixth in the ITA Division II East Regional rankings, is back in action on Wednesday, when it visits Franklin Pierce University for a Northeast-10 match at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks host eighth-ranked Adelphi University for their Purple & White match on Friday at Charles Watt Tennis Courts at 3 p.m.
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