Solorzano Valencia provided the match clinching point for the Skyhawks at No. 1 singles (PHOTO BY Doug Monson/Stonehill Athletics)

Regionally-ranked Solorzano Valencia and Antao lead Skyhawks to NE10 win

EASTON, Mass. (September 5, 2021) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 2 in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional rankings, opened its 2021-22 season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis action inside the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex this afternoon. 

Highlights

• Stonehill's regionally ranked duo of juniors Cristina Solorzano Valencia and Steffi Antao led the way as double winners for the Skyhawks.
• Senior captain Samantha Ormesher added a win at No. 4 singles for Stonehill.
• Junior Lily Peter and freshman Marissa Such combined for a win at No. 3 doubles for Stonehill.

How it Happened

• Peter and Such clinched the doubles point for Stonehill with their 6-2 win at No. 3 against the Saint Anselm tandem of freshmen Julia Svor and Julia Casaletto. The win came after Solorzano Valencia and Antao, the No. 3-ranked doubles pairing in the ITA East Region rankings, rolled to a 6-1 victory at No. 1 doubles.
• Antao, ranked No. 10 in the ITA East Region singles rankings, posted Stonehill's first singles win without dropping a game to Saint Anselm senior Emily Jacy at No. 2 singles.
• Ormesher pulled Stonehill within a point of the win with her 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 4 singles against Saint Anselm freshman Bridget Hughes.

• Antao didn't drop a game in singles and doubles play on her way to a pair of wins on Sunday (PHOTO BY Doug Monson/Stonehill Athletics)

  Solorzano Valencia, ranked No. 4 in the ITA East Region singles rankings, clinched the win with her 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles against Saint Anselm junior Anastasia Kapothanasis.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill has been picked to finish third in the NE10 preseason poll behind defending champions Franklin Pierce University and regional rival Adelphi University, with one first place vote. Saint Anselm has been picked tenth.
• Solorzano Valencia has now won her last nine singles decisions dating back to last season. She has posted a combined singles and doubles record of 49-14 over her Stonehill career, including a 23-4 singles record and 26-7 doubles mark.
• Solorzano Valencia and Antao have also won nine straight double matching dating back to last season.

Up Next

Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE10) returns to the courts next Saturday, September 11, for a showdown with Adelphi University, ranked No. 6 in the East Region, for an NE10 matchup at Charles Watt Tennis Courts at 1 p.m. Saint Anselm (0-1, 0-1 NE10) visits regionally ranked Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. 

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