FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First-round action of the 2015 GNAC Women's Tennis Tournament began on Wednesday afternoon, as third-seeded Johnson & Wales University blanked sixth-seeded Mount Ida College, 5-0, and fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) handled fifth-seeded Albertus Magnus College, 8-1.
With the victories, JWU and USJ both earn a spot in the GNAC Tournament semifinals this weekend at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center in Winchester, Mass. Top-seeded Simmons College will take on USJ Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., followed by second-seeded Suffolk University facing JWU at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday's title match in Winchester is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
#3 JWU 5, #6 MOUNT IDA 0
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Even though the Johnson & Wales University women's tennis team only played two doubles matches, the Wildcats still advanced in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament. Without enough players to field a full team, Mount Ida College was forced to forfeit three matches, which helped JWU win, 5-0, on Wednesday.
The Wildcats advance to the GNAC tournament semifinals on Saturday. Johnson & Wales will take on Suffolk at 4:30 p.m. at the Winchester Tennis Center. The Wildcats lost, 5-4, to the Rams on October 10.
Johnson & Wales took care of that during doubles. The tandem of freshman Victoria Pizzulo (Lafayette, NJ) and junior Morgan Thomas (Fargo, ND) rolled to an 8-1 win over Rebecca Levy and Jenna Jarman at number one. At number two it was the same score as senior Emily Glass (Sterling, Conn.) and freshman Delaney Maccirole (Greenport, NY) cruised past Yuliana Chairez and Katyln Jesse.
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph tennis team scored its first-post season victory since 2003 as the Blue Jays defeated Albertus Magnus 8-1 Wednesday in a first round match of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament on the USJ courts.
USJ advances to a GNAC Tournament semifinal match against No. 1 seed Simmons, Sat. Oct. 24 at the Winchester Tennis Center. Saturday's winners meet in the championship match, Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
USJ had qualified for the tournament in seven of the previous 11 years since the '03 semifinal appearance, but lost in its first match each time. Wednesday, the Blue Jays won their sixth consecutive match and even did better than the 7-2 regular-season victory over Albertus.
The match began with USJ taking a 3-0 lead by sweeping doubles play. Rebecca Mauri (Meriden, Conn.) and Lucy Roberge(Willington, Conn.) at No. 1 and the tandem of Sakinah Abdulsalam (Bristol, Conn.) and Ashley Savino (Old Saybrook, Conn.) at No. 2 both won 8-3 and Leah Nguyen (West Hartford, Conn.) and Natalia Rozio (Newington, Conn.) won 8-1.
The Blue Jays then took five of six singles matches for the final margin. Mauri at No. 1 and Abdulsalam, Savino, Tara Smith (Palmer, Mass.) andSerena Sundara (Windsor, Conn.) at the third through six spots all earned straight-sets wins for USJ. Smith and Sundara both earned the most decisive wins, 6-0, 6-0.
Information Provided by JWU, USJ Athletics Communications.
Match 1: #4 St. Joseph (Conn.) 8, #5 Albertus Magnus 1
Match 2: #3 Johnson & Wales 5, #6 Mount Ida 0
Saturday, Oct. 24 - Semifinals (at Winchester Tennis Center)
Match 3: #4 St. Joseph (Conn.) vs. #1 Simmons - 2:00 PM
Match 4: #3 Johnson & Wales vs. #2 Suffolk - 4:30 PM
Sunday, Oct. 25 - Final (at Winchester Tennis Center)
Match 5: Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner - 12:30 PM
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