FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The top seeds in the NE10 Women's Tennis Championship are on a collision course for Sunday, as No. 1 Stonehill and No. 2 Merrimack both advanced to the title match with semifinal victories on Friday at their respective courts. The Skyhawks blanked No. 4 Le Moyne, 4-0, while the Warriors earned a 4-1 win over No. 3 Adelphi. Sunday's match is scheduled to be outside at 1 p.m. in Easton, Mass., as Stonehill will serve as host.
Stay updated on @TheNortheast10 on Twitter for news and updates regarding the Women's Tennis Championship, if schedule changes are necessary due to inclement weather over the weekend.
#1 Stonehill 4, #4 Le Moyne 0 | BOX SCORE
EASTON, Mass. – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 42 in the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II rankings, earned its spot in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship match for the fifth-straight year with a 4-0 victory over fourth-seeded Le Moyne College, ranked No. 9 in the Oracle/ITA East Regional rankings, in NE10 women’s tennis semifinal round action at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.
Stonehill (12-1, 11-0 NE10) advances to the NE10 Championship match for the 13th time in program history overall, seeking its sixth tournament title, but first since 2014. The Skyhawks will host second-seeded Merrimack College (11-5, 9-2 NE10) in Sunday’s championship at Watt Courts at 1 p.m. The Warriors advanced with a 4-1 victory over third-seeded and No. 48-ranked Adelphi University (10-4, 8-3 NE10) in today’s other semifinal match. Le Moyne finishes its fall season with an 11-5 record overall, including 8-3 in the NE10.
Juniors Alexandra Vo and Annelise Howick, along with sophomore Isabelle Porter led Stonehill to the win as double-winners. Vo and Howick, ranked No. 9 in the Oracle/ITA East Region doubles rankings, cruised to a 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles for the Skyhawks. Porter teamed up with freshman Samantha Ormesher and battled to a 7-5 triumph at No. 2 doubles, rallying twice before closing the match out after drawing even at 5-5, to clinch the doubles point for the Skyhawks.
Porter, ranked No. 15 in the Oracle/ITA East Region singles rankings, later provided the match deciding point with her 6-4, 6-4 decision at No. 1 singles against Le Moyne senior Tiffany Hamdan (Johnson City, New York). Howick earned Stonehill’s first singles point with her quick 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5 singles against freshman Belen Wibmer (Maldonado, Uruguay), while Vo breezed to a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 2 singles against freshman Birdem Oz (Istanbul, Turkey).
#2 Merrimack 4, #3 Adelphi 1 | BOX SCORE
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's tennis program enacted some revenge on Adelphi University on Friday afternoon from North Andover High School, defeating the Panthers in 4-1 fashion in the Northeast-10 Conference Semifinals. With the win, the Warriors advance to their first NE10 Championship match since 2014, and will face top-seeded Stonehill on Sunday.
Rapid Recap
- Adelphi was one of just two league opponents to beat Merrimack in the regular season, as the Panthers arrived in North Andover to face the Warriors for the third time in the conference semifinals since 2013-14
- In the regular season, Adelphi won both doubles flights to take a 1-0 lead into singles, but on Friday the Warriors flipped the script. Sophomore Cassie Restrepo and freshman Kristina Calistro triumphed, 6-2, at second doubles while senior Mana Seifaei and freshman Rosemary Campanella won at No. 1, 6-4, to take the doubles point
- Campanella dominated fifth singles, blanking her opponent (6-0, 6-0) to get Merrimack its first singles win. The Warriors entered singles already with a triumph at sixth singles due to Adelphi's five-player lineup, and Campanella's win moved the hosts within a point of the match
- Restrepo delivered the victory for Merrimack. She won her opener, 6-3, before prevailing in six straight games in the second set to set the Warriors on to NE10 Final
-Information for this release provided by Stonehill and Merrimack athletic communications-
2018 NE10 Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
Wednesday, October 24th
First Round
Match #1: #3 Adelphi 4, #6 Assumption 1
Match #2: #4 Le Moyne 4, #5 New Haven 1
Friday, October 26th
Semifinals
Match #3: #2 Merrimack 4, #3 Adelphi 1
Match #4: #1 Stonehill 4, #4 Le Moyne 0
Sunday, October 28th
Championship (to be held at highest remaining seed)
Game 5: #2 Merrimack at #1 Stonehill (1:00 PM)
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.