CONCORDIA PICKED TO REPEAT IN CACC WOMEN'S TENNIS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Aug. 24, 2010) – Concordia (N.Y) College has been picked to repeat as regular-season champion in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women’s Tennis in 2010, according to balloting conducted by the nine head coaches. The Clippers garnered eight first-place votes and 80 total points. Goldey-Beacom College finished second with 61 points, while Holy Family University was one point behind with 60 points.

Concordia returns eight players from last year’s squad, including CACC Rookie of the Year, Ola Roberts. Roberts won a doubles championship at the ITA East Region Tournament last season, and placed fifth at ITA Nationals. The team lost the 2009 CACC Player of the Year, Cristina Oliveira, but welcomes back second team All-Conference selections Adeline Brennan and Yuliya Plevako. The young Concordia squad gained valuable NCAA Tournament experience last season as the Clippers advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division II Championships. Concordia earned victories against Holy Family and Stonehill College in the East Region Tournament to earn a spot in the “Sweet 16.” Concordia is the defending CACC Tournament champion, having upended Goldey-Beacom to claim the 2009 title.

Goldey-Beacom and head coach Joe Kissel were selected second in the poll. The two-time reigning CACC Coach of the Year guided the Lightning to their best season in the program's short five-year history last year with a 13-5 overall record and a 7-1 mark in CACC play. The Lightning fell to Concordia, 5-3, in the 2009 CACC Tournament championship match. The Lightning earned a spot in the 2009-10 NCAA East Region Tournament, falling to Stonehill in the opening round. Three GBC players garnered conference honors last season in second team pick Marina Sales and honorable mention selections Blanca Sancho and Vanessa leon Velasquez. All three return in 2010.

Holy Family welcomes back a pair of All-Conference players in first team selection Juliana Victoria-Caldas and second team honoree Jin Querubin. The Tigers went 6-2 in conference play last year and finished 13-8 overall. The team earned a berth to the NCAA East Region Tournament in 2009, but fell to Concordia in the opening round.

The 2010 season gets underway on Sept. 1 and 2, with Goldey-Beacom opening its 2010 campaign against Neumann and Molloy. The CACC Tournament will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 23, with the championship match set to be played at Chestnut Hill College.