#2 seeded Bulldogs battle #7 Wagner, Friday in opening round of NEC Championships

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SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off its best regular season showing in Division I program history, the Bryant University women's tennis team earned the #2 overall seed at the Northeast Conference Championships and the right to play seventh seeded Wagner in the first round, Friday at 9 a.m. in West Windsor, N.J.

The Bulldogs highest-ever seed at the NEC Championships comes on the heels of a 6-7 overall season, going 2-1 against league competition.

"This is the highest seed we've ever received," said head coach Barbara Cilli. "I told the girls not to be distracted by that."

After a tough start to the spring with losses to quality opponents such as #60 Boston College and top-seeded LIU Brooklyn, the Black and Gold started to come into their own, winning three of their final four matches of the regular season. Bryant wrapped up its Spring Break trip in Orlando with a 4-3 win over South Dakota before knocking off Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart to improve to 2-1 in NEC play.

The young, but talented Bulldogs are led by a pair of sophomores in Ryan Brown (Austin, Texas) and Marion Bouillin (San Diego, Calif.) who each went 6-7 at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively. Brown, the 2014 All-NEC First teamer and two-time NEC Player of the Week has established herself as a legitimate No. 1 in her second season in Smithfield as she looks to lead her team to its first NEC Championship.

Sophomore Briana Leonard (Westford, Mass.), and freshmen Linnea Sjoberg (Stockholms län, Sweeden) and Ashanti Campfield (Stratford, Mass.) have solidified Bryant's 3-5 spots with Campfield posting a team-best 10-4 overall record in singles competition. And after another stellar fall season on the turf, senior Rosie Bird (Hamilton, New Zealand) has helped round out the backend of the Bulldog lineup with her veteran leadership and experience.

On Friday, the Bulldogs will battle seventh seeded Wagner who enters the tournament with a 7-6 overall record, 2-3 vs. NEC opposition. After opening the season 5-1, the Seahawks struggled during the spring dropping five of the last seven including losses to Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary's and LIU Brooklyn. Junior Marina Rull Valvieso leads the team with an 8-3 overall dual record, 4-2 at No. 1 singles.

"We have work to do, regardless of what seed we are," added Cilli. "We need to keep our tennis level up, stay focused and approach this tournament one round at time."

Bryant will get its chance to return to the NEC Semifinals for the second-straight year on Friday when it faces off with Wagner at 9 a.m. in West Windsor, N.J.