Downey sent the Skyhawks through to Sunday's final with her three-set win at No. 4 singles yesterday. |
Top-seeded Skyhawks host second-seeded Panthers for NE10 Championship on Sunday in Weymouth
NE10 Women's Tennis Championship Central
EASTON, Mass. (October 28, 2017) – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked sixth in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional rankings, aims to make the third time the charm as it hosts second-seeded Adelphi University, ranked fifth in the region, for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at The Weymouth Club, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Admission for the NE10 Championship is free of charge, with live results available via stonehillskyhawks.com and updates on Twitter from @GoStonehill.
Stonehill (14-0, 12-0 NE10), which is making its NE-10 record 19th NE10 Tournament appearance, has reached the championship match for the fourth straight year and ninth time over the last ten seasons, with its NE10 record 12th finals trip overall. The Skyhawks, which captured their eighth NE10 regular season title this fall, aims to add their sixth tournament title and win both crowns in the same season for the third time in program history and first since completing the championship double in 2009. Stonehill also won the postseason championship in 2013 and 2014 to go with titles in 1991 and 1992 under the old flighted points system before the league switched to its present dual match tournament format in 1999.
Adelphi (13-1, 11-1 NE10) is in the Northeast-10 Tournament for the eighth straight year since joining the Conference in 1999 and aims to claim its third-straight title, all at Stonehill's expense. The Panthers are in the NE10 final for the fourth time overall, having defeated the Skyhawks for the NE10 Championship 5-2 on Long Island in 2016 and 5-4 at Watt Courts last year. Rebecca Fakas (Little Neck, New York/Benjamin N. Cardozo) was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and picked up two key points for the Panthers at No. 1 singles and doubles in last year's championship match. Karen Serina (East Islip, New York/East Islip) provided the deciding point when she bounced back from a set down to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph at No. 3 singles. The Panthers also edged Stonehill 5-4 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this past spring.
Both teams earned first round byes in the NE10 Tournament, but had very different semifinal round experiences on Friday. Adelphi claimed a comfortable 5-1 victory over third-seeded Southern New Hampshire University in their semifinal in Garden City, New York, yesterday, while Stonehill was anything but comfortable in surviving a 5-4 decision over fifth-seeded Le Moyne College on Watt Courts.
Vo is a first team All-NE10 performer for the Skyhawks at No. 2 singles and doubles. |
Fakas, the two-time NE10 Player of the Year, and fellow senior Elizabeth Kallenberg (Port Jefferson, New York/Paul D. Schreiber) led Adelphi past SNHU as double winners at No. 1 singles and doubles and No. 2 singles and doubles, respectively. Freshman Kate Cunningham (Somerset, England/IMG Academy (Fla.)) was Stonehill's lone double-winner against Le Moyne, combining with senior Victoria Barbetta (Wesley Chapel, Florida/Saddlebrook Prep) for the Skyhawks lone double point, and then playing her part in the top-seed rallying with the final two singles matches after Le Moyne held a 4-3 lead. Cunningham and junior Nicole Downey (Groveland, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional) both won three-set thrillers at No. 5 and 4 singles, respectively, with Downey's 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 clinching the win for the Skyhawks after Cunningham rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
NE10 Coach of the Year Marc Maloney brings seven All-NE10 performers into the NE10 Championship, including six who earned first team honors. Sophomore Alexandra Vo (Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania/Nazareth Academy) earned All-NE10 first team honors at No. 2 singles and doubles this fall, the latter coming along with classmate Annelise Howick (Jacksonville, Florida/Creekside). Vo is a combined 30-4 in singles and doubles play this fall, posting a 12-2 doubles mark with Howick, including 11-1 in NE10 play. Vo has posted a 16-1 singles record this season, including 11-0 in the NE10 to improve to 23-0 in two seasons in Conference singles matches.
Senior Colleen O'Donnell (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) also earned All-NE10 honors for both singles and doubles this fall, earning first team honors at No. 3 doubles with freshman Bethany Hammond (Belgrade, Maine/St. Dominic's) and second team honors at No. 5 singles. O'Donnell is a combined 18-3 in singles and doubles play this season, with she and Hammond posting an 8-1 mark, and O'Donnell has owning an 8-2 singles record.
Porter had a huge three-set win against the Panthers in September. |
Barbetta and freshman Isabelle Porter (Jupiter, Florida/William T. Dwyer) round out the top half of Stonehill's lineup. Barbetta is a combined 19-12 in singles and doubles play this season overall, teaming up with Cunningham for a 6-0 record this fall, including 5-0 in the NE10. Porter, a first team All-NE10 performer at No. 3 singles and an NE10 All-Rookie team selection, is a combined 22-4 in singles and doubles play in her first collegiate season. She has posted a 14-1 singles record, winning all eight of her NE10 matches this season. Cunningham is 8-1 in singles matches after her three-set win on Friday, while Downey is a third team All-NE10 honoree at No. 4 singles for the Skyhawks, having posted a 13-4 record this fall, including 9-3 in the NE10.
Fakas, who leads four from Adelphi to earn All-NE10 honors for both singles and doubles and six All-NE10 performers overall, is a combined 28-5 in singles and doubles play this season, posting a 15-2 singles record, including 11-1 in the NE10, while she and Serina have posted a 13-3 record in doubles, including 11-1 in the NE10. Freshman Nicole Kielan (Valley Stream, New York/Valley Stream South) is a combined 20-6 in singles and doubles for the Panthers, including an 11-2 singles record, winning all ten of her matches at No. 3 and posting a 9-1 mark in the NE10.
Kallenberg and junior Samantha Perri (Floral Park, New York/Floral Park Memorial) have teamed up for a 14-2 doubles record, including 10-1 in the NE10, with a 12-1 record at No. 2. Perri has posted a 16-1 singles record, winning all 12 of her NE10 matches, while Kallenberg is 10-4 in singles, including 9-2 in the NE10 at No. 2.
After Adelphi won all three encounters between the two teams last season by 5-4 score lines, including the two postseason matchups, Stonehill claimed a 6-3 triumph in the NE10 opener for both at Watt Tennis Courts on September 16. O'Donnell and Vo were both double-winners to lead the Skyhawks to the regular season win, while Porter earned a three-set triumph over Kallenberg to clinch the win in her NE10 debut.
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2017 Northeast-10 Conference
Women's Tennis Tournament
First Round
Wednesday, October 25
#3 Southern New Hampshire 5, #6 Merrimack 0
#5 Le Moyne 5, #4 Assumption 4
Semifinal
Friday, October 27
#2 Adelphi 5, #3 Southern New Hampshire 1
#1 Stonehill 5, #5 Le Moyne 4
Championship
Sunday, October 29
#2 Adelphi (13-1, 11-1 NE10) at #1 Stonehill (14-0, 12-0 NE10)
