Women’s Tennis Picked 11th in NE10 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
NE10 Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
RINDGE, N.H. (August 17, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team has been picked to finish 11th, out of 13 teams, in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced on Thursday by the Conference office.
The Ravens, who finished 10th in the league a year ago with a 4-16 (3-9 NE10) record, were picked to finish near the same place in 2017. Head coach Peter Arsenault has added one newcomer to the roster, to go with seven returners.
Last season's top two singles players both return for another go-around in 2017. Sophomore Alana Wyatt (Worcester, Mass.) posted a 5-15 record at first singles a year ago, while senior Sonia Rodrigues (Swansea, Mass.) went 2-10 at second singles. The pair combined to post a 5-9 record at first doubles. Sophomores Kelly O'Donnell (Maywood, N.J.) and Sarah Rich (Windham, Maine) both return as well, after posting a 5-12 record while splitting time between second and third doubles last year.
Three different teams earned first-place votes in the poll, with seven of the league's 13 coaches selecting Stonehill to finish out front. The Skyhawks (138 points) led the way, while Adelphi (123 points), Southern New Hampshire (121 points), Assumption (109 points) and Merrimack (95 points) rounded out the top five. Adelphi and SNHU split the six remaining first-place votes.
The Ravens will open the season on Friday, Sept. 1, when they travel to Nichols for a non-conference match at 3 p.m.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce tennis apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).