WESTON, Mass. - So far, the first season for the Regis (Mass.) women's tennis team in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference has been a success. The Pride finished the regular season with the league's second-best record and, with it, a first-round bye in the six-team GNAC Tournament. At stake is a bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
The GNAC Tournament begins this Wednesday, Oct. 18 with a pair of first-round matchups. Regis (6-3, 5-1 GNAC) will play the winner of No. 3 Simmons (9-5, 4-2 GNAC) and No. 6 Albertus Magnus (7-7, 1-5 GNAC) on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Winchester Indoor Tennis Center where both the semifinals and championship matches take place. Looming on the other side of the bracket is undefeated and defending champion Johnson & Wales (RI).
The Pride won both matches against their potential opponents. Reflective of their seedings, Regis edged Simmons 5-4 on Oct. 1 at the Regis Tennis Center and closed the regular season with an 8-1 win at Albertus Magnus. Regis had already solidified the No. 2 seed prior to its match with the Falcons.
A big addition to the Pride, who won league titles in each of its last five seasons, has been freshman Carly Donovan. The Harwich, Mass. native has been nearly perfect in GNAC play this season, going 9-2 combined in doubles and singles. She finished the season with three GNAC Rookie of the Week honors and will need to continue that success into the postseason.
With sophomore standout Ariana McCormack an injury question mark for Saturday, veterans Katasha Jarvis and Carly Scanlon may need to find success at both singles and doubles. Jarvis played mainly with McCormack but has adjusted nicely to Donovan as her new partner. The duo has won three of its past four matches. Scanlon has done same with Amy DiPace as her new No. 2 doubles partner as part of the loss to McCormack.
Full Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, October 18 - First Round
Match 1: #6 Albertus Magnus at #3 Simmons - 4:30 PM @ Daly Field
Match 2: #5 Saint Joseph (CT) at #4 Suffolk - 4:30 PM @ North Reading HS
Saturday, October 21 - Semifinals (Winchester Indoor Tennis Center)
Match 3: #4/5 winner vs. #1 JWU - 2PM
Match 4: #3/6 winner vs. #2 Regis (Mass.) - 4:30PM
Sunday, October 22 - Championship (Winchester Indoor Tennis Center)
Match 5: Match 3 winner vs Match 4 winner - 12:30 PM
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