FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 15, 2005

Rhode Island College Women’s Tennis Captures Little East Conference Title

(11-1 Overall; 7-0 in the Little East Conference)

2005 Little East Conference Tournament Champions

2005 Little East Conference Regular Season Champions

Providence, RI—Head Coach Kelly Chartier’s team captured the 2005 Little East Conference Championship, hosted by Western Connecticut on Oct. 14-15, by placing first with 24.0 points. Plymouth State finished second (14.0), Salem State third (11.0), UMass Dartmouth fourth (7.0), Bridgewater State and Southern Maine tied for fifth place (6.0) and Western Connecticut was seventh (4.0).

It is the sixth Little East title for the program, the second for Chartier as a coach and RIC’s fourth in the last seven seasons. RIC has captured LEC titles in 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. The Anchorwomen swept all three doubles flights and took four of six flights in singles action. It was the most flights RIC has ever won at the LEC Championships.

RIC finished the season with an 11-1 overall record and a 7-0 mark in the Little East Conference. The Anchorwomen won their third consecutive Little East Conference Regular Season title as well. RIC has won 28 of its last 29 dual matches dating back to 2003. RIC was 11-1 this season, was 13-0 in 2004 and won its last four dual matches of the 2003 season.

The Anchorwomen have won their last 17 home matches. The team was 6-0 at RIC this fall, was 7-0 last season and won their final four home matches of the 2003 campaign. The last time a RIC squad lost a home dual match was a 5-4 loss to Johnson & Wales on Sept. 16, 2003.

Freshman Megan Hall (Smithfield, RI) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number two singles flight, as well as the number one doubles flight. Hall went 2-0 in singles competition, receiving a bye in the first round, defeating Sarah Charwick from UMass Dartmouth (8-2) in the semi-finals and Jill Deyermond from Plymouth State (6-2, 6-2) in the Championship Match. Hall teamed with Liz Barrette to win the number one doubles flight. They received a bye in the first round, downed Whitney O’Leary and Erica Huckins from Plymouth State (8-4) in the semi-finals and beat Kie Tanaka and Aprile Lozzi from Salem State (8-3) in the Championship Match. Hall was named the Little East Conference Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Week three times this season. She closed out the season with a 13-1 singles record and a 15-2 doubles record for a team-high 20.5 points. Hall and Barrette’s 15 doubles wins are a new RIC record for a single season.

Freshman Margaret Funk (Oakdale, CT) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number three singles flight, as well as the number two doubles flight. Funk went 2-0 in singles competition, receiving a bye in the first round, defeating Dianna Sullivan from Bridgewater State (8-2) in the semi-finals and Erica Huckins from Plymouth State (6-2, 6-1) in the Championship Match. Funk teamed with Natasha Roman to win the number two doubles flight. They received a bye in the first round, downed Sarah Charwick and Katie Haepers from UMass Dartmouth (8-5) in the semi-finals and beat Becky Pydynkowski and Alyssa Beaton from Salem State (8-0) in the Championship Match. She closed out the season with a 13-1 singles record and a 14-2 doubles mark for 20.0 points. She was named the Little East Conference Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Week once on the season.

Sophomore Kseniya Gurvich (Barrington, RI) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number four singles flight. Gurvich went 3-0 in singles competition. She defeated Regina Dube from Bridgewater State (8-2) in the first round, downed Katie Haepers from UMass Dartmouth (6-2, 5-7, 12-10) in the semi-finals and downed Rachel Xavier from Plymouth State (6-2, 6-2) in the Championship Match. She closes out the season with an 8-3 singles record for 8.0 points on the season.

Sophomore Ashley Gorman (Cumberland, RI) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number six singles flight, as well as the number three double flight. Gorman went 3-0 in singles competition. She defeated Jessie Horton from Bridgewater State (8-3) in the first round, downed Allison D’Angelis from UMass Dartmouth (6-1, 6-2) in the semi-finals and beat Meghan Rodier from Plymouth State in a spirited Championship Match (7-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-6 (4)). Gorman teamed with Tara Marchant to win the number three doubles flight. They defeated Emily Straubel and Elyse Campione from Southern Maine (8-2) in the first round, downed Ashley Ludwig and Krista Golia from Western Connecticut (8-4) in the semi-finals and beat Regina Dube and Jessie Horton from Bridgewater State (8-6) in the Championship Match. Gorman was the number six singles flight champion in 2004 as well while a member of the Plymouth State team. She closed out the 2005 season with an 11-2 singles record and a 14-4 doubles mark for 18.0 points.

Senior Liz Barrette (North Providence, RI) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number one doubles flight along with Megan Hall. They received a bye in the first round, downed Whitney O’Leary and Erica Huckins from Plymouth State (8-4) in the semi-finals and beat Kie Tanaka and Aprile Lozzi from Salem State (8-3) in the Championship Match. Barrette went 1-1 in the number one singles flight, defeating Whitney O’Leary from Plymouth State (8-5) in the first round, before falling to Katie Welch from Southern Maine (7-5, 6-3) in the semi-finals. Barrette was 11-3 in singles and 15-2 in doubles for 18.5 points on the season. Barrette and Hall’s 15 doubles wins are a new RIC record for a single season. She was named the Little East Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week once on the season. She closes out her career with a 43-18 career singles record, which ranks third all-time at RIC for singles victories. She also logged a 51-15 career doubles record, which ties Donna Vongratsavay’s ’03 all-time mark for career doubles wins.

Junior Tara Marchant (North Scituate, RI) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number three doubles flight along with Ashley Gorman. They defeated Emily Straubel and Elyse Campione from Southern Maine (8-2) in the first round, downed Ashley Ludwig and Krista Golia from Western Connecticut (8-4) in the semi-finals and beat Regina Dube and Jessie Horton from Bridgewater State (8-6) in the Championship Match. Marchant went 2-1 in the number five singles flight, defeating Ashley Ludwig from Western Connecticut (8-3) in the first round, Nicole Cross from UMass Dartmouth (5-7, 6-2, 10-8) in the semi-finals before falling to Sarah Cole from Plymouth State (6-1, 6-1) in the Championship Match. Marchant was 11-3 in singles and 14-4 in doubles for 18.0 points on the season.

Freshman Natasha Roman (Somerset, MA) was the Little East Conference Champion in the number two doubles flight along with Margaret Funk. They received a bye in the first round, downed Sarah Charwick and Katie Haepers from UMass Dartmouth (8-5) in the semi-finals and beat Becky Pydynkowski and Alyssa Beaton from Salem State (8-0) in the Championship Match. Roman was 4-0 in singles and 12-2 in doubles for ten points on the season.

2005 Rhode Island College Women’s Tennis Roster

Name

Year

Hgt

Hometown/High School

Liz Barrette

Sr.

5-9

North Providence, RI/La Salle

Ashley Barry

So.

5-3

Bristol, RI/Mt. Hope

Heidi Beauregard

Jr.

5-3

Cumberland, RI/Cumberland

Kathleen Brady

Fr.

5-4

North Smithfield, RI/North Smithfield

Ashley Cunday

Fr.

5-3

Warwick, RI/Toll Gate

Margaret Funk

Fr.

5-4

Oakdale, CT/Montville

Ashley Gorman

So.

5-2

Cumberland, RI/Cumberland

Kseniya Gurvich

So.

5-4

Barrington, RI/Barrington

Megan Hall

Fr.

5-7

Smithfield, RI/Smithfield

Tara Marchant

Jr.

5-6

North Scituate, RI/Scituate

Natasha Roman

Fr.

5-10

Somerset, MA/Somerset

Alyson St. Amand

Sr.

5-6

West Warwick, RI/West Warwick

Ashley St. Amand

Fr.

5-2

West Warwick, RI/West Warwick

Carissa Wiles

So.

5-10

Narragansett, RI/Narragansett

Samantha Zira

So.

5-3

Chepachet, RI/Ponaganset

Head Coach:

Kelly Chartier

Captains:

Liz Barrette, Tara Marchant

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