Simmons Women's Tennis Wins 2008 GNAC Championship

Courtesy: GNAC Communication

WEYMOUTH, Mass. - The Simmons College women’s tennis team earned the 2008 GNAC Women’s Tennis title with a 6-3 victory over Johnson & Wales University. Johnson & Wales’ No.1 doubles team of sophomore Melissa Engel (Traverse City, Mich.) and junior all-tournament selection Erienne Gale (Temecula, Calif.) earned the first points with a 8-1 win.  Simmons went into singles play leading 2-1 after the No. 2 doubles team of freshman all-tournament selection Maggie Taylor (Yarmouth, Maine) and freshman Liza Pope (West Newbury, Mass.) and the No. 3 doubles of junior Jordan Borash (Marblehead, Mass.) and freshmen Athena Lynch (Andover, Mass.) earned wins.

Taylor defeated senior Jessica Cohen (Norton, Mass.) at the No. 4 singles, 6-1, 6-0, to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead. Pope gave the Sharks a 4-1 lead at the No. 5 singles with a 6-3, 6-2 edge over senior Jessica Flammia (Clark, N.J.).

The championship was clinched with the next singles victory at the No. 2 spot when sophomore all-tournament selection Maile Macleod (Carlsbad, Calif.) defeated Gale 7-6, 6-1.

The next two singles victories went to Johnson and Wales when senior all-tournament selection Olivia Molhant (Brussels, Belgium) gave the Wildcats a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles and Melissa Engel posted a 6-2, 7-5 win at third singles.

The last singles match of the evening came down to the No. 6 singles where Lynch defeated freshman Laura Schwenn (Ottumwa, Iowa) 5-7, 6-4, 10-3, giving the Sharks a 6-3 victory.

The Sharks, who came up just short in the 2007 GNAC Championship to Suffolk University, have captured 4 of the last 5 GNAC championships under the leadership of the 2008 GNAC Coach of the Year Bob Rauseo.

Simmons College improved to 11-4 with the victory, while Johnson & Wales dropped to 11-5 with the defeat. The Sharks will learn their fate when the NCAA field is announced next May 4th, and they will begin play in a first round match in the NCAAs next May 8th.

Singles Competition

1. Olivia Molhant (JWU) def. Stacey Kohan (SIMMONS)   3-6, 6-2, 6-2

2. Maile Macleod (SIMMONS) def. Erienne Gale (JWU)     7-6, 6-1

3. Melissa Engel (JWU) def. Katy Hallinan (SIMMONS)     6-2, 7-5

4. Maggie Taylor (SIMMONS) def. Jessica Cohen (JWU)   6-1, 6-0

5. Liza Pope (SIMMONS) def. Jessica Flammia (JWU)      6-3, 6-2

6. Athena Lynch (SIMMONS) def. Laura Schwenk (JWU) 5-7, 6-4, 10-3

 

Doubles Competition

1. Gale/Engel (JWU) def. Kohan/Macleod (SIMMONS)                                   8-1

2. Pope/Taylor (SIMMONS) def. Molhant/Cohen (JWU)                                 8-4

3. Lynch/Jordan Borash (SIMMONS) def. Schwenk/Dana Trimborn (JWU)         8-4

WOMEN’S TENNIS 2008 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Kayleigh Holt	Jr	Emerson	Somerset, MA
Maile Macleod	So	Simmons	Carlsbad, CA
Maggie Taylor	Fr	Simmons	Yarmouth, ME
Erienne Gale	Jr	Johnson & Wales	Temeula, CA
Oliva Molhant	Sr	Johnson & Wales	Brussels, Belgium
Kaitlynn Cates	Jr	Suffolk	Newton, MA

WOMEN'S TENNIS 2008 ALL-CONFERENCE

PLAYER OF THE YEAR     Kaitlynn Cates         Suffolk

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR     Lauren Cameron     Suffolk

COACH OF THE YEAR     Robert Rauseo         Simmons

FIRST TEAM - SINGLES

Kaitlynn Cates	Jr	Suffolk	Newton, MA
Alex Hernandez-Vallant	So	Suffolk	North Providence, RI
Katy Hallinan	So	Simmons	Lakeville, MA
Lauren Cameron	Sr	Suffolk	Kingston, Jamaica
Kayleigh Holt	Jr	Emerson	Somerset, MA
Rachel Troia	So	Suffolk	Quincy, MA

FIRST TEAM - DOUBLES
Erienne Gale / Melissa Engel     Johnson & Wales

SECOND TEAM - SINGLES

Oliva Molhant	Sr	Johnson & Wales	Brussels, Belgium
Maile Macleod	So	Simmons	Carlsbad, CA
Laura Schwenk	Fr	Johnson & Wales	Ottumwa, IA
Maggie Taylor	Fr	Simmons	Yarmouth, ME
Erienne Gale	Jr	Johnson & Wales	Temeula, CA
Amanda Maurer	Jr	Albertus Magnus	Milford, CT
Elyse Allard	Sr	Saint Joseph (CT)	Plainfield, C

SECOND TEAM - DOUBLES
Kaitlynn Cates / Alex Hernandez-Vallant     Suffolk


SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM                   
Kendra Dowen              Albertus Magnus
Kailey Smith                 Emerson
Nory Hayes                   Emmanuel
Jessica Flammia            Johnson & Wales
Aisha Engram               Pine Manor
Gianna Gurga               Saint Joseph (CT)
Stacey Kohan               Simmons
Alex Hernandez-Vallant Suffolk