Ravens earn two singles victories and one doubles win on Friday

RINDGE, N.H. (October 5, 2007) - The Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team dropped a 6-3 decision to Le Moyne College in a Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis match on Friday afternoon at the Franklin Pierce tennis courts.

Franklin Pierce won two singles matches and also earned a doubles point on the afternoon. Senior CoCo Minott (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) earned her second victory in two first-singles matches so far in 2007, as she won the first game against Le Moyne's Allison Cohen (Fayetteville, N.Y.) and then took the match when Cohen could not continue. Junior Francesca Santoro (Medford, Mass./Medford) also earned a win without breaking a sweat, as she was awarded the sixth-singles point when Le Moyne could not field a sixth singles player.

The Ravens also earned a doubles point via a walkover, as the third doubles team of Monica Lavertu (Berlin, N.H./Berlin) and Kathleen Judge (Lowell, Mass./Lowell Catholic) did not have to take the court to earn a victory.

The home team, however, could not muster another point against the Dolphins. Freshman Lauren Smilovich (Meriden, Conn./Sacred Heart Academy) nearly forced a third set but fell in straight sets to Mariella Artessa (Syracuse, N.Y.), 1-6, 5-7, while sophomore Bianca LaPointe (Plainfield, Conn./Saint Bernard) forced a first-set tiebreaker against Claire Wittmeier (Laurel, N.Y.) before falling in two sets, 7-8 (4-7), 2-6.

Franklin Pierce (0-2, 0-2 NE-10) will return to the courts on Tuesday afternoon, as the Ravens take on Bentley College in a Northeast-10 match in Waltham, Mass., beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Le Moyne 6, Franklin Pierce 3

Singles:
1. CoCo Minott (FP) def. Allison Cohen (LEM), 1-0, ret.
2. Sabrina Megali (LEM) def. Mariana Zahora (FP), 6-1, 6-0
3. Marielle Artessa (LEM) def. Lauren Smilovich (FP), 6-1, 7-5
4. Claire Wittmeier (LEM) def. Bianca LaPointe (FP), 8-7 (7-4), 6-2
5. Nicole Romano (LEM) def. Erin Whyman (FP), 6-0, 6-0
6. Francesca Santoro (FP) wins in walkover

Doubles:
1. Artessa/Tirzah Walrath (LEM) def. Minott/Smilovich (FP), 8-2
2. Romano/Megali (LEM) def. Whyman/LaPointe (FP), 8-4
3. Monica Lavertu/Kathleen Judge (FP) wins in walkover