FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The stage is now set for this weekend's neutral-site final four at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center in Winchester, Mass. after third-seeded Johnson & Wales University and fourth-seeded Regis (Mass.) both earned 2018 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament first-round victories on Wednesday. JWU blanked sixth-seeded Simmons University, 5-0, and the Pride took care of visiting Suffolk University, the No. 4 seed, by a 5-1 final.
Both programs will now move forward to the GNAC Tournament Semifinals this weekend at Winchester. Top-seeded Colby-Sawyer College will take on Regis this Saturday, October 20 at 2:00 PM, followed by second-seeded Eastern Nazarene College facing JWU at (approximately) 4:30 PM. Winners of both matches will square off on Sunday in Winchester in the GNAC Championship with a potential trip to the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament at stake next spring.
#3 JWU 5, #6 SIMMONS 0
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Johnson & Wales University women's tennis team took its first step towards a third-straight GNAC Championship on Wednesday. The Wildcats defeated Simmons University, 5-0, in the first round in a match played at Rhode Island College.
Johnson & Wales improved to 11-4 while the Sharks season ended at 4-10.
JWU moves on to face Eastern Nazarene on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The match will be played at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center.
The Wildcats got out to a great start by sweeping all three doubles matches. First off was Claire Parry and Drew Bobey with their 8-1 triumph at number one. At number three, Lauren Torre and Katherine Ledesma were the next ones off with their 8-3 win. Down 2-1 early, the number two tandem of Delaney Macchirole and Kourtney Moore were 8-3 winners.
JWU wasted little time getting the two singles wins it needed for the team victory. Moore was a 6-1, 6-0 victor over Michelle Medici at number four. Parry completed the win with her 6-1, 6-2 triumph at number one against Nickie Nguyen.
Eastern Nazarene narrowly defeated the Wildcats, 5-4, during the regular season.
Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications.
#4 REGIS 5, #5 SUFFOLK 1
WESTON, Mass. – Regis College took the early lead by winning two of three doubles sets, and then the Pride won three straight singles contests to defeat Suffolk University, 5-1, in a first round match of the 2018 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament Wednesday evening at the Regis Tennis Center.
After a short delay due to a rain shower, the doubles matches started, with the Pride taking the first point thanks to the second doubles team of Carly Donovan (Harwich, Mass.) and Katelyn Mogelnicki (Wethersfield, Conn.), 8-3. Regis pulled ahead 2-0 on an 8-1 victory by Kaeleigh FitzPatrick (South Windsor, Conn.) and Lauren Mogelnicki (Wethersfield, Conn.) at third doubles, but Suffolk cut that margin in half with a win by Ilda Ascic and Delaney Dunlap at first doubles, 8-3.
In singles, Gracie Jarest (Wrentham, Mass.) gave the Pride momentum, earning a straight-set victory at sixth singles without losing a game (6-0, 6-0). Lauren Mogelnicki dropped just one game as she was victorious in straight sets at number five singles (6-1, 6-0), and then her sister Katelyn Mogelnicki clinched the match with a victory at number four singles (6-1, 6-1).
Regis (8-3) will face top seed Colby-Sawyer Saturday, Oct. 20, starting at 2 p.m. at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center in the first semifinal of the GNAC Women's Tennis Tournament. Suffolk's season concludes at 5-9.
Courtesy of Regis Athletics Communications.
First Round - Wednesday, October 17 (at high seeds)
Match 1: #3 JWU 5, #6 Simmons 0 | BOX (at RIC)
Match 2: #4 Regis 5, #5 Suffolk 1 | BOX (at Regis)
Semifinals - Saturday, October 20 (at Winchester Indoor Tennis Center)
Match 3: #4 Regis vs. #1 Colby-Sawyer - 2:00 PM
Match 4: #3 JWU vs. #2 Eastern Nazarene - 4:30 PM
Championship - Sunday, October 21 (at Winchester Indoor Tennis Center)
Match 5: Highest remaining seeds - 12:30 PM
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –