Skyhawks improve conference record to 8-0, look ahead to Friday’s NE-10 showdown with Southern N.H.

Paige Frost survived an early tiebreak to claim a team-best eighth NE-10 singles victory.

EASTON, Mass. (April 5, 2011) – Stonehill College, maintaining the #4 ranking in this week’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II East Regional poll, blanked Bentley University 9-0 this evening to sweep their fifth straight Northeast-10 Conference match and remain tied for first place in the conference standings with a spotless 8-0 record in NE-10 competition.

Senior Lindsey Herchel (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and sophomore Jacquelyn Harrow (North Reading, Mass./North Reading), ranked 10th regionally in doubles, cruised to an 8-0 victory in the No. 1 spot, while junior Leah White (Walpole, Mass./Bishop Feehan) and freshman Kaitlyn Martin (Medway, Mass./Medway) held off Bentley’s Kara Murphy and Aimee Tetu 8-5 at No. 2 for their team-leading 19th doubles victory of the season. Junior Amy Toegemann (Narragansett, R.I./The Lincoln School) and sophomore Chelsea Haedrich (Islip, N.Y./Islip) finished off the Falcons 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.

Herchel and Toegemann also won handily at first and second singles to lead off the singles flights in straight sets, while White battled for a three-set victory over Rachael Litton at No. 3. After the two traded 6-3 scores to split the first two sets, Litton pushed White to a third-set tiebreak, but White dominated the extra points by a 7-2 margin to come away with the win. Sophomore Paige Frost (Brigantine, N.J./Holy Spirit) also went to a tiebreak with Bentley’s Cheryl Martin in the opening set at No. 4, edging her out 9-7 before putting away a 6-3 win to wrap it up in straight sets.

Kaitlyn Martin became the Skyhawks’ fourth double winner of the evening with an 8-2 pro set victory at No. 5 singles as she and Frost each pocketed their team-leading eighth win in NE-10 singles play. Junior Sarah Hickey (Lee, Mass./Lee) was characteristically efficient at No. 6 singles, downing Katie Van Gilst 8-2 for her 41st career singles victory without a loss.

Stonehill (12-1, 8-0 NE-10) will face off with Southern New Hampshire University, currently ranked 29th in the ITA Division II national poll and tied with the Skyhawks atop the NE-10 standings, at home on Friday at 3:00 p.m.