Women's Tennis Set To Begin Defense Of Northeast-10 Crown, Skyhawks Aim For Third Straight NCAA Tournament Berth In Blend Of Youth And Experience
February 21, 2007
It's hard to imagine what Pam Arpe can do for an encore after an historic season for Stonehill College women's tennis history last spring. But knowing the 2006 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, rest assured that it will be one filled with success for the Skyhawks once again this year.
After claiming its first outright Northeast-10 regular season crown in 14 years with a perfect 12-0 league slate, including a victory over three-time defending conference champion Bryant that snapped the Bulldogs' 35-match Northeast-10 winning streak, Arpe guided Stonehill to its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championships as well a school-record 17 dual-match triumphs in 2006 that also featured a school-record 15-match winning streak along the way. And though graduation claimed half of the Skyhawks' lineup from a year ago, Arpe has plenty of experience returning as well as some talented newcomers in the fold for this spring.
Here's a look at how things are shaping up for Stonehill Women's Tennis in 2007:
The junior trio of Daniella Granato (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle), Elise Clark (Spring Lake, N.J./Saint Rose) and Allison Bleakney (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston) not only will provide veteran experience for the Skyhawks this season, they will also provide leadership as the team's tri-captains. Arpe says that this group "has demonstrated all of qualities of success and leadership that I look for in captains, and many new faces coming into the program, their leadership abilities will be extremely important and valuable as the season goes along."
All three juniors have earned all-conference accolades in both singles and doubles action during their first two campaigns at Stonehill, as Granato posted a 17-1 slate at the number four singles spot last year and looks to move up to the number one position this spring. Granato posted a combined 34-4 mark in singles and doubles action in 2006, including a perfect 24-0 record in Northeast-10 regular season action.
Clark was equally impressive in singles play with a 15-4 slate (11-1 in conference play) for Stonehill last spring at the number three position, as she teamed up with Bleakney for a 10-5 overall mark in doubles action. Bleakney matched Clark's conference singles record en route to a 13-3 overall singles slate, as the two look to move up in the lineup during the 2007 season.
"Having a group of juniors that recorded over 100 combined wins last year is a testament to their hard work and mental toughness," Arpe says. "Graduation did hurt us in terms of additional experience, but I feel Daniella, Elise and Allison are prepared to continue their success and make our younger players better as well."
Sophomore Lauren Laporte (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) also returns vying for a spot in the Skyhawk lineup this spring, while junior Sara Rayworth (West Boylston, Mass./West Boylston) joins the squad as the only other upperclassmen on the roster.
Arpe welcomes four freshmen into the Stonehill fold in 2007 and looks for many of them to make an immediate impact on the Skyhawks' fortunes. Freshmen Samantha Dircks (Stony Brook, N.Y./Stony Brook), Lauren Rowinski (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Immaculate Heart) and Jessica Schaaf (Old Lyme, Conn./Lyme-Old Lyme) could step into the lineup right away in both singles and doubles action, while fellow freshman Breanna Holland (Newburyport, Mass./St. Thomas Aquinas) will also look to crack the lineup during her rookie season.
The Skyhawks begin defense of their Northeast-10 crown by competing at the Hilton Head Tennisaction Classic in Hilton Head, S.C. during Spring Break. Stonehill opens conference play with a trip to Syracuse, N.Y. on Saturday, March 17th to take on LeMoyne.
