Top-seeded Skyhawks finish off second-seeded Warriors for sixth NE10 Tournament crown, but first since 2014
Ormesher earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the NE10 Championship after her two big wins today. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix) |
EASTON, Mass. (October 28, 2018) – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 42 in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II rankings, finished off its sixth Northeast-10 Conference Women's Tennis Tournament Championship in program history in commanding fashion, dispatching second-seeded Merrimack College, 4-0, at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.
Freshman Samantha Ormesher earned Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in leading Stonehill to its first NE10 Tournament crown since 2014. The Skyhawks, who have also won the tournament championship in 2009 and 2013, in addition to titles in 1991 and 1992 under the old flighted points system before the league switched to its present dual match tournament format in 1999. Competing in its record 20th NE10 Tournament, Stonehill has swept the Conference's regular season and tournament titles for the third time, and first since 2009. Joining Ormesher on the NE10 All-Tournament team from the Skyhawks are junior Alexandra Vo and freshman Emma Markaryan.
In addition to capturing the NE10 Championship, Stonehill (13-1, 11-0 NE10) earns the NE10's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament next spring. Merrimack wraps up its fall schedule with an 11-6 record overall, including 9-2 in the NE10.
Vo earned All-Tournament team honors and provided the championship clinching point at No. 2 singles. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix) |
Ormesher and sophomore Isabelle Porter helped Stonehill clinch the doubles point with their 6-3 decision at No. 2. Ormesher then battled back from 1-4 down in the opening set of her match against Merrimack sophomore Cassie Restrepo at No. 3 singles for a 6-4, 6-1 triumph that put the Skyhawks first singles point on the board. Markaryan followed by closing out her 6-0, 6-2 victory over freshman Kristina Calistro at No. 5 singles and then Vo clinched the championship by wrapping up a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles against senior Lauren Persson. Stonehill had won the opening set in all six singles matches prior to the match being decided.
Merrimack struck first at No. 1 doubles as senior Mana Seifaei and freshman Rosemary Campanella defeated Vo and junior Annelise Howick, the East Region's No. 9-ranked doubles team, 6-1. However, Stonehill bounced back with Ormesher and Porter leveling the doubles matches, before senior Nicole Downey and junior Caroline Ray clinched the doubles point just moments later with their 6-1 win over Persson and junior Mia Briggs.
Rounding out the NE10 All-Tournament team were Campanella and freshman Hope Salts from Merrimack, as well as sophomore Marta Nunez from Le Moyne College, and Adelphi University senior Samantha Perri. Seifaei received the NE10's Elite 24 Award for having the highest cumulative grade point average among all student-athletes in the Championship.
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