April 3, 2008

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS DEBUT AT NO. 3 IN FIRST REGIONAL RANKING OF 2008 SEASON

SMITHFIELD, RI -- The Bryant University men's and women's tennis teams, both undefeated in Northeast-10 Conference play, set the bar high for the 2008 campaign, debuting at No. 3 in the season's first NCAA Regional Poll, released April 2.

At 11-3 overall, the Bulldog men have excelled under second year coach Ron Gendron. They boast an 8-2 in-region record, a 6-0 mark in Northeast-10 Conference action and are ranked No. 3 in both the NCAA East Regional Poll and the ITA East Regional Poll. The Bryant men enter the first ranking week coming out of a 7-1 March, highlighted by a 5-4 victory over then-No. 28 Kutztown on March 11 that marked the program's first-ever win over a nationally ranked team.

Bryant was similarly rewarded for its effort on the national stage, where the Bulldog men garnered the program's first ever national ranking and fall in at No. 45.

In the region, Bryant also boasts two of the East's top-15 singles players in No. 8 Cristian Balestrieri (Mal Del Plata, Argentina) and No. 12 Jose Rodriguez (Trujillo, Peru).

Balestrieri, a freshman, is 10-4 at No. 1 singles for the Bulldogs, while Rodriguez, a junior, is 10-2 in the No. 2 singles slot, winning his last eight straight.

And when Balestrieri pairs up with sophomore Kevin Gardiner (Powder Springs, Ga.), the duo holds a No. 8 regional doubles ranking and a 3-3 record.

Thanks to the play of such newcomers as Balistrieri, Rodriguez and Tom Nowak -- along with returning captain Craig Drushella,  Kevin Levinson, Matt Shephard-Lupo, Kevin Gardiner, and Dylan Whiting -- the Bulldogs are now looking to make a run at the conference championship in a few weeks in hopes of earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.

The NCAA will select the Division II field on April 30.

On the women's side, the Bulldogs also hold top-5 rankings in both regional polls, sitting at No. 3 in the NCAA East Regional Poll and No. 5 in the ITA East Regional Poll. Bryant is 11-2 overall with a perfect 7-0 record against Northeast-10 competition and are 3-2 in regional action.

The Bulldog women boast the No. 11 singles player in the East in sophomore Emma Czarnecki (Huntington Woods, Mich.), who is 5-2 in the No. 1 singles spot.

Two other Bulldogs, senior Michelle Burke (Barrington, RI) and sophomore Chelsea Downing (Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) also team up for a No. 9 regional ranking and are 9-4 on the year at No. 1 doubles for Bryant.

Both squads take the court again this week, with the women playing conference rival Merrimack College on the road Thursday, April 3 at 3 p.m. and the men taking on Southern New Hampshire in Manchester, NH, Saturday, April 5 at 4 p.m.