Porter is 2-0 in singles play this week in the NE10 Tournament, posting the match-clinching point against SNHU yesterday |
Third-seeded Skyhawks host fourth-seeded Le Moyne for NE10 Championship Sunday at The Weymouth Club at 10 a.m.
2019 NE10 Women's Tennis Championship Central
NE10 Women's Tennis Championship History
EASTON, Mass. (October 26, 2019) – Third-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 4 in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Region rankings, will look to successfully defend its Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship and win its seventh title overall when it hosts Le Moyne College for the final match of the 2019 NE10 Women's Tennis Championship at The Weymouth Club tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Admission for the NE10 Championship at The Weymouth Club, located at 75 Finnell Drive in Weymouth, Massachusetts, is free of charge. The match will be played at the indoor facility due to the weather forecast for heavy rain most of the day on Sunday. Live results will also be available via stonehillskyhawks.com.
Stonehill (11-3, 9-1 NE10) and Le Moyne (13-3, 7-3 NE10) both reached Sunday's NE10 Championship match via the first round and then spinning upsets in the NE10 Semifinals on Friday. The Skyhawks semifinal upset was of the more mild variety, dropping second-seeded Southern New Hampshire University, 4-1 in Manchester, New Hampshire, after rolling past No. 6 University of New Haven, 4-0 in Wednesday's first round. Junior Isabelle Porter is 2-0 for the Skyhawks at No. 2 singles this week after her 6-2, 6-4 decision over SNHU freshman Selin Seyfettinoglu clinched the semifinal win yesterday. Sophomores Emma Markaryan and Samantha Ormesher also added singles wins at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, for the Skyhawks against the Penmen. Markaryan is also 2-0 in the NE10 Tournament so far this week.
Stonehill has clinched the doubles point through the first two NE10 Tournament matches this week as well. The Skyhawks No. 2 doubles pairing of senior Annelise Howick and freshman Cristina Solorzano Valencia and the No. 3 team of senior Caroline Ray and freshman Steffi Antao are both 2-0 this week. Ray and Antao clinched the doubles point for Stonehill at SNHU yesterday, handing the Penmen's No. 3 team its first loss of the year, 7-5.
Le Moyne knocked off top-seeded Adelphi University, 4-3, in yesterday's other NE10 semifinal after rallying past No. 5 Franklin Pierce University, 4-3, in the first round, to reach the NE10 Championship match for the first time in program history. Freshman Marta Perez clinched the match win for the Dolphins yesterday, with her 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 triumph at No. 5 singles against Adelphi's Lea Baschanow. Le Moyne took four of the six singles matches after dropping the doubles point against the Panthers, with sophomore Birdem Oz knocking off NE10 Player of the Year Barbara Quagliardi, ranked No. 1 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, 6-4, 6-0 and freshman Francesca Lilliegren rallying from a set down to defeat Amanda Franstedt, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Markaryan is also 2-0 in singles matches this week in the NE10 Tournament |
Stonehill posted a 7-0 victory over Le Moyne in their regular season matchup in Syracuse, New York, behind five double-winners 12 days ago. Solorzano Valencia and Howick clinched the doubles point for the Skyhawks with their 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles. Solorzano Valencia then added a 6-1, 6-2 triumph at No. 1 singles over Oz. Ray combined with Markaryan for a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles for Stonehill and then Ray provided the match-clinching point with her 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles against Le Moyne sophomore Brooke Fernandez.
Stonehill, which captured a share of its tenth NE10 regular season title this fall, has reached the NE10 Championship match for the sixth-straight year and 11th time over the last 12 seasons, with its 14th finals appearance overall. The Skyhawks have competed in the NE10 Tournament for a Conference record 21st time, looking for their seventh Tournament Championship and successfully defend their 2018 title. Stonehill has also won the championship in 2014, 2013 and 2009, 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.
Pam Arpé, a 2017 inductee into the Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame and two-time NE10 Coach of the Year, is in her 11th season as the head coach of the women's tennis program, returning this fall after five years of retirement. The Skyhawks feature a deep lineup consisting of eight All-NE10 performers, led by the regionally ranked duo of Porter and senior Alexandra Vo.
Porter, ranked No. 13 in the Oracle/ITA Division II East Region singles rankings, earned her fourth career All-NE10 selection with her third team spot at No. 1 doubles, alongside Ormesher, who has now earned three All-NE10 honors. Porter is a combined 5-5 in singles and doubles play this fall, posting a 5-4 singles record, including 3-3 in the NE10, to go with a 7-5 doubles mark, including 7-2 in the NE10, with a 6-5 record with Ormesher, including 6-2 in the NE10. Ormesher, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 NE10 Championship, has posted a 7-5 singles record this fall, including 5-3 in the NE10.
Vo, now a six-time All-NE10 performer over her career after earning a spot on the first team at No. 2 singles for the third time in her career, is ranked No. 15 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings. She posted a sterling 40-0 career record in NE10 regular season matches, including 8-0 this fall, and is 12-2 in singles this season overall, with a 5-0 record at No. 3. She reached the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA Division II East Regional in September.
Solorzano Valencia has made an immediate impact in her first season at Stonehill, earning All-NE10 second team honors at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles, along with her playing partner, Howick. Solorzano Valencia is a combined 28-7 this fall, posting a 13-3 singles record, including 8-2 in the NE10, while she and Howick are 14-3, including 7-1 in the NE10. The duo reached the semifinals of the ITA East Region doubles championship, while Solorzano Valencia also advanced to the singles quarterfinals.
Solorzano Valencia and Howick have won both their matches at No. 2 doubles, leading the Skyhawks to a pair of doubles points this week. |
Antao earned All-NE10 first team honors at No. 3 singles and third team accolades at No. 3 doubles, along with Ray. Antao is a combined 19-7 in her first collegiate season, posting a 10-4 singles record, winning all nine of her NE10 singles matches. She and Ray have posted a 6-2 doubles record, including 4-1 in the NE10. Ray has also posted a 4-1 singles record, including 3-0 in the NE10. Markaryan is a two-time All-NE10 first team singles performer, with her honors at No. 4 singles this fall. She has posted a 12-3 singles record, including 9-1 in the NE10 to give her a career NE10 singles record of 19-1 through two seasons.
Le Moyne, which had posted just four NE10 Tournament wins over its ten previous postseason appearances before this week, has reached its first NE10 Championship. The Dolphins had reached the NE10 semifinals three-straight years under third-year head coach Jeff Lonczak.
Le Moyne's lineup consists of five All-NE10 singles performers, including Oz, who earned third team honors at No. 1 singles. She has posted a combined 25-11 record, posting a 15-3 singles mark, including 6-2 in the NE10. Oz and Lilliegren are 10-8 this fall, including a 5-5 mark in the NE10, splitting their 14 matches at No. 1 doubles. Lilliegren earned All-NE10 third team honors at No. 3 singles, as well as NE10 All-Rookie accolades, with a combined 24-12 record, posting a 14-4 singles mark, including 7-3 in the NE10.
Fernandez has earned All-NE10 second team honors at No. 6 singles this fall, posting a combined 21-7 record. She is 9-4 in singles, including 5-2 in the NE10, while teaming up with Perez for an 11-3 doubles record, including 5-2 in the NE10. Junior Marta Nunez also earned All-NE10 third team honors at No. 2 singles for the Dolphins. She is a combined 22-15 in singles and doubles play, posting a 13-6 singles mark, including 7-3 in the NE10. Junior Rebecca Peters rounds out the All-NE10 performers for the Dolphins, with her third team honors at No. 4 singles. She is a combined 16-15 this fall, posting a 9-7 singles record, including 5-3 in the NE10.
The winner of tomorrow's NE10 Championship match will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament in May.
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2019 Northeast-10 Conference
Women's Tennis Tournament
First Round
Wednesday, October 23
#4 Le Moyne 4, #5 Franklin Pierce 3
#3 Stonehill 4, #6 New Haven 0
Semifinal
Friday, October 25
#3 Stonehill 4, #2 Southern N.H. 1
#4 Le Moyne 4, #1 Adelphi 3
Championship
Sunday, October 27 (The Weymouth Club, Weymouth, Mass.)
#4 Le Moyne (13-3, 7-3 NE10) at #3 Stonehill (11-3, 9-1 NE10), 10 a.m.
