Women's Tennis set for NEC Tournament
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. -- The Bryant University women's tennis team will look to capture its second Northeast Conference championship in program history this weekend in New Jersey.
Bryant, seeded second, received a bye into the semifinals and will face either third-seeded Sacred Heart or sixth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. The Bulldogs were picked as co-favorites in the preseason and went on to post a 2-2 mark against league competition this spring. Bryant defeated Sacred Heart and Merrimack and lost to top-seeded LIU twice.
Below is a look at Bryant's possible lineup based on previous matches.
No. 1 Singles - Ada Boru
Boru has played at No. 1 singles for most of the past three seasons. She is 3-6 overall this year and 2-2 against NEC opponents. Boru is the reigning NEC Player of the Week following a straight-set victory against LIU last Friday.
No. 2 Singles - Sarah Hickey
Hickey has held down the No. 2 spot with a 3-5 overall record and a 2-1 mark against NEC foes. A former NEC All-Rookie selection, Hickey posted NEC singles victories over Sacred Heart and Merrimack.
No. 3 Singles - Arianna Oropeza
Oropeza is a former NEC Rookie of the Year honoree and enters her final NEC Tournament. She is 5-5 overall this year and 2-2 against NEC opponents. Oropeza is 3-1 in her previous tournament experience.
No. 4 Singles - Leanne Kendall
Kendall is also a former NEC All-Rookie selection and is 3-6 overall this year. She is 2-2 in NEC matches, posting a victory over LIU and a three-set loss against the Sharks.
No. 5 Singles - Camila Baeza
Baeza has earned an NEC Player of the Week nod this year and enters the tournament with a 3-2 overall mark. She is 2-1 against NEC opponents. Both of Baeza's NEC wins have come in three sets.
No. 6 Singles - Olivia Rondini
An NEC Rookie of the Year candidate, Rondini enters the tournament with a 6-2 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark against NEC opponents. She earned a huge 7-5, 7-5 victory last Friday against LIU.
No. 1 Doubles - Boru/Kendall
Boru and Kendall have posted a 5-4 mark together this year. That includes a 3-1 record against NEC opponents. The duos only loss came against the doubles team from Sacred Heart.
No. 2 Doubles - Hickey/Manuela Gomez Estrada
Hickey and Gomez Estrada have teamed up over the last half of the spring, posting a 3-3 overall record. They split a pair of NEC matches.
No. 3 Doubles - Oropeza/Rondini
Bryant features one of the league's premier No. 3 doubles as Oropeza and Rondini have produced a 4-3 record. The duo went 2-1 in NEC matches.