Bulldogs receive four first-place votes, picked second in NEC Preseason Coaches Poll

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After making back-to-back NEC Title match appearances, the Bryant University women's tennis team was picked to finish second in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, after receiving four votes, as announced by the league on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs remain under the direction of Barbara Cilli in her 17th season, as she returns after claiming her second-straight NEC Coach of the Year honors last season. The 2017 roster includes all of the Bulldogs from last years' championship roster, including First Team All-NEC selections Linnea Sjoberg (Stockholm, Sweden) at No. 2 singles, Ashanti Campfield (Stratford, Conn.) at No. 5 singles and Stefanie Arroyo (Gurabo, Puerto Rico) at No. 6 singles. Arroyo and Sjoberg were also dubbed first team all-conference at No. 3 doubles.

Marion Bouillin (San Diego, Calif.) and Nina Luiggi (Nottingham, England) were named to the Second Team All-NEC lineup at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively. The Bryant pair of Bouillin and Ryan Brown (Austin, Texas) received second team at No. 1 doubles, while the twosome of Campfield and Luiggi received the same honors at No. 2 doubles.

Arroyo was the lone Bulldog to receive honors this fall, capturing NEC Player of the Month in September, after finishing with a 4-1 singles mark, reaching the "C" flight back draw final at the Stony Brook Classic and the "C" flight quarterfinals at the West Point Invitational. After defeating Navy's Sabrina Jiang (9-7) in the consolation quarterfinals at Stony Brook, Arroyo claimed an impressive win over FDU's Liza Rachenko, a first team All-NEC honoree last spring, by a 9-8 (5) final score in a tight match. At West Point, she secured victories over Sacred Heart's Adrianne Alfonso (2-6, 6-0, 10-3) and Marist's Cassie Morlock (6-4, 6-0). Arroyo and her fellow Bulldogs have begun the season 0-3, falling, 4-3, to Rhode Island, Siena and Brandies.

Fairleigh Dickinson was picked to repeat this season, claiming the top spot just above Bryant with four first-place votes. Saint Francis U. claimed the third place in the poll, while Sacred Heart rounded out the top-four finishers. Liu Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Wagner and St. Francis Brooklyn completed the poll in that order.