Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams Announced
Browne of Tufts Selected as Player of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Tufts sophomore Julia Browne (Old Brookville, N.Y.) has been named the 2009 NESCAC Player of the Year, as determined by the conference coaches. Browne helped the Jumbos reach the semifinals of the 2009 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championship along with their ninth-straight NCAA Tournament bid.
The 2008 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Browne was also honored on the All-Conference First Team at both Singles and Doubles after she earned Second Team Singles recognition last spring. Browne is undefeated in dual matches at the #1 position so far this year, owning a 14-0 record. During the fall, Browne came away with the ITA New England Region singles championship and advanced all the way to the semifinals of the ITA Small College Nationals. In doubles action, Browne has teamed up with junior Meghan McCooey (Cumberland, R.I.) for a 12-1 mark, as the duo won the ITA Small College Doubles national championship back in October. McCooey, who was named to this year’s Second Team Singles in addition to the First Team Doubles, was a First Team Singles selection in 2008.
Williams junior Grace Baljon (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) garnered All-NESCAC Singles honors for the third consecutive year after being named to the Second Team in 2007 and the First Team in 2008. Baljon, the 2007 Rookie of the Year, has a 9-4 dual match record for the Ephs at #1 singles this season and was also named to the Second Team Doubles for the second-straight year. Joining Baljon from Williams were senior Cary Gibson (Augusta, Ga.) and sophomore Nicole Reich (Westfield, N.J.). Gibson earned All-Conference doubles honors for the fourth time in her career with her third selection to the First Team (2006, 2008). Partnering with Reich, the tandem have gone 10-6 at the #1 doubles slot so far in 2009. Reich added First Team Singles to her Doubles award, posting a 14-2 mark in dual matches while playing at a variety of different positions for the Ephs.
Also returning from the 2008 First Team Singles was Amherst junior Brittany Berckes (Secaucus, N.J.). A Second Team Singles honoree in 2007, Berckes has gone 7-5 at the #1 position for the Jeffs as she helped her squad capture their fifth-straight conference crown over the past weekend by winning. Berckes, the two-time NCAA Doubles Champion with Alicia Menezes ‘06, was also named to the Second Team Doubles with sophomore partner Carlissa King.
Senior Sarah D’Elia (Fairfield, Conn.) of Bowdoin managed to claim All-NESCAC accolades in all four of her seasons with the Polar Bears by being selected to the Singles and Doubles First Team along with earning the NESCAC Senior Sportswoman award. During her first year in Brunswick, D’Elia was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year along with Second Team Singles and Doubles. D’Elia moved up to the First Team for Singles and Doubles during her sophomore campaign, and as a junior last year earned First Team Doubles and Second Team Singles. Playing at #1 singles, D’Elia has recorded an 11-4 dual match record. Teaming with first year Emily Lombardi (Hinsdale, Ill.), who joined D’Elia with First Team Doubles honors, the pair have gone 11-5. Lombardi also scored Second Team Singles honors with an 11-4 dual match mark.
Completing the 2009 All-Conference First Team was Middlebury first year Victoria Aiello (Milton, Mass.) on the Singles squad. Aiello has spent her first season with the Panthers playing at #1 singles and has earned an 11-6 dual match record along the way. Aiello also received individual honors, as the coaches selected her as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year.
Coach of the Year was shared by Kate Bayard of Tufts and Alison Swain of Williams. Bayard has guided the Jumbos to a 9-5 mark in her fourth season at the helm of the program. Swain, a 2001 graduate of Williams and former All-NESCAC honoree herself, has led the defending NCAA Women’s Tennis Champion Ephs to a 16-2 record heading into this weekend’s NCAA Tournament action.
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2009 NESCAC Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams
|
| First Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
|
Hometown |
| Victoria Aiello |
Middlebury |
Fy. |
Singles |
Milton, Mass. |
| Grace Baljon |
Williams |
Jr. |
Singles |
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. |
| Brittany Berckes |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Singles |
Secaucus, N.J. |
| Julia Browne |
Tufts |
So. |
Singles/Doubles |
Old Brookville, N.Y. |
| Sarah D'Elia |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Singles/Doubles |
Fairfield, Conn. |
| Cary Gibson |
Williams |
Sr. |
Doubles |
Augusta, Ga. |
| Emily Lombardi |
Bowdoin |
Fy. |
Doubles |
Hinsdale, Ill. |
| Meghan McCooey |
Tufts |
Jr. |
Doubles |
Cumberland, R.I. |
| Nicole Reich |
Williams |
So. |
Singles/Doubles |
Westfield, N.J. |
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| Second Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
|
Hometown |
| Kristin Alotta |
Williams |
Fy. |
Singles |
West Islip, N.Y. |
| Grace Baljon |
Williams |
Jr. |
Doubles |
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. |
| Brittany Berckes |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Doubles |
Secaucus, N.J. |
| Natasha Brown |
Amherst |
So. |
Doubles |
Woodland Hills, Calif. |
| Taylor French |
Williams |
Fy. |
Doubles |
Hidden Hills, Calif. |
| Carlissa King |
Amherst |
So. |
Singles |
Laurelton, N.Y. |
| Chandra Kurien |
Middlebury
|
Sr.
|
Singles/Doubles
|
Fairfield, Conn. |
| Emily Lombardi |
Bowdoin |
Fy. |
Singles |
Hinsdale, Ill. |
Meghan McCooey
|
Tufts |
Jr. |
Singles |
Cumberland, R.I. |
| Elizabeth Stone |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Singles/Doubles |
Cohasset, Mass. |
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| Player of the Year |
Julia Browne
|
Tufts |
So. |
|
Old Brookville, N.Y.
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| Rookie of the Year |
Victoria Aiello
|
Middlebury |
Fy. |
|
Milton, Mass.
|
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| Senior Sportswoman of the Year |
Sarah D'Elia
|
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
|
Fairfield, Conn.
|
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| Co-Coaches of the Year |
Kate Bayard
|
Tufts |
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| Alison Swain |
Williams |
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